My brain, which had just let me down so badly, was perhaps never so active. The paramedics' question was a fundamental one. Who are you? Yes indeed. Who am I? Robert McCrum was forty-two when he suffered a massive stroke which left one side of his body totally paralysed, his speech drastically impaired, and his sense of himself radically altered. What followed was a prolonged period of recovery, full of heartache and frustration, as he gradually regained sensation, movement, and self-esteem and as his family pulled together in the extraordinary effort necessary to make him well again. My Year Off is a moving story of determination, courage, and love that sings with wit and honesty. An invaluable insight into the reality of life after stroke, the moments of hope, the anger and despair, this is a book that gives voice to millions. 'Not only a riveting account of sudden illness, but also of love being put under a real test: a heart-warming triumph' Kazuo Ishiguro, Sunday Times 'I have never read anything quite like this, moving and unsentimental .

it should be prescribed reading for all' Beryl Bainbridge.