Ghost Girl: The True Story of a Child in Desperate Peril-and a Teacher Who Saved Her

From the bestselling author of One Child comes this compelling, true story of a child in desperate peril and the teacher who saved her despite the odds.

Jadie never spoke. She never laughed, or cried, or uttered any sound. Despite efforts to reach her, Jadie remained locked in her own troubled world…until one remarkable teacher persuaded her to break her self-imposed silence.

Nothing in all of Torey Hayden's experience could have prepared her for the shock of what Jadie told her—a story too horrendous for Torey's professional colleagues to acknowledge. Yet a little girl was living in a nightmare, and Torey Hayden responded in the only way she knew how—with courage, compassion, and dedication—demonstrating once again the tremendous power of love and the resilience of the human spirit.

“An amazing story.”—Washington Post

Jadie never spoke. She never laughed, or cried, or uttered any sound. Despite efforts to reach her, Jadie remained locked in her own troubled world . . . until one remarkable teacher persuaded her to break her self-imposed silence.

Nothing in all of Torey Hayden’s experience could have prepared her for the shock of what Jadie told her—a story too horrendous for Torey’s professional colleagues to acknowledge. Yet a little girl was living in a nightmare, and Torey responded in the only way she knew how—with courage, compassion, and dedication—demonstrating once again the tremendous power of love and the resilience of the human spirit.

Praise for Ghost Girl: “A testament to the powers of caring and commitment.” - Publishers Weekly

Praise for One Child: “Parts of this book will enrage you. Parts of this book may make you cry. And parts may make you cheer. But whatever your reaction, I think you will agree that it has been a long time since you have read a book with the sheer emotional impact of One Child.” - New York Times

“Page after page proves again the power of love and the resiliency of life.” - Los Angeles Times

“It is really, in its essence, about all children everywhere. . .who need the miracle of unconditional love this young teacher was willing and able to give. I wish all teachers and parents. . .would read this book.” - Eda LeShan, author of In Search of Myself and Other Children

Praise for Torey Hayden: “Torey Hayden deserves the kind of respect I can’t give many people. She isn’t just valuable, she’s incredible. The world needs more like Torey Hayden.” - Boston Globe