Martine The Girl in the Shadows

This extraordinary and gritty memoir shares the unimaginable and cruel home life Martine endured while growing up in South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s.

Martine was the forgotten, unwanted child who lived in isolation within her family. All she wanted was to be loved by them. Whenever she came close to being adopted and loved, it was cruelly snatched away from her in a brutal way. Martine was often locked out alone and hungry and slept overnight in the doorway of her home, fearing the shadows and vulnerable to the evils of the night. Martine's childhood was filled with broken innocence and emotional pain, but her spirit was never broken.

This narrative bursts with the young Martine's courage, resilience, and determination to navigate herself to a safe life. The writing is eloquent and compelling. With her bravery leaping from each page, the decision to share her story showcases that however traumatic one phase of life is, it does not have to become the blueprint for the future!

Author:

I have written my book in the third person in a novel format. It took me three years to write the book; I wanted the reader to feel what little Martine felt in every situation. The book is 436 pages and 126000 words! I never thought I had so much to write about until I finished it. It was emotionally challenging as I relived each experience in my book, and from the reviews so far, I think I did a good job. Even my nephew "Baby Donnie" dreaded the chore of having to read it as family, but when he started, he said he could not put it down!

After he had finished, he called me to say, "Auntie, it was amazing! Well done!"

He had been concerned I would write derogatory things about his mother (my sister) and his granny (my mother), but he felt it was definitely not a mud-slinging book! I focused on my childhood, not their lives - it is about little Martine's experiences, not theirs. I was pleased to get his support!

I have never let my childhood define who I was and who I am now!

x Martine x