Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair.  In the book, Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve by Christopher Andersen, life's fairness is called into question.

     Christopher Reeve played Superman in several movies and was seen by his fans as virile, strong, and in true Superman style, invincible.  That image changed in a split second when Reeve was thrown from a horse during a jumping competition.  The position of his body on impact with the ground caused Reeve to become a quadriplegic.  No longer could he dodge bullets, fly off buildings or intervene to save the earth.  In fact, he could no longer even breathe on his own but was ventilator dependent for the rest of his life.

     Andersen's book chronicles the change in Reeve's life from a Hollywood star to a wheelchair bound man dependent on others for eveything in his life.  A crucial factor in Reeve's fight for survival was his wife, Dana.  Throughout their marriage, Dana stood by her husband and was an encourager, nurse and public relations spokeswoman for Reeve.

     Knowing her husband as intimately as she did, Dana knew that Christopher wanted to be more than a man in a wheelchair.  She encouraged him to become an advocate for stem cell research and the couple began to raise funds through the Christopher Reeve Foundation.  The Reeves called on their Hollywood friends to help raise funds through charity events.  One significant friend who stood with the Reeves throughout their ordeal was Robin Williams.

     Although this story does not have a happy ending it is a truly inspirational story.  Christopher died of complications from an infection and several years later Dana died of cancer.  Their lives were full of impact on those they met - from fellow celebrities to patients in a rehab hospital but most of all on their children.

     If you are looking for a well-written book that shows how a man can change from Superman to a super man, I would recommend Somewhere in Heaven.

     That is what I have read.  What are you reading?