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Book excerpt: When Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in a riding accident in 1995, the world was captivated by his struggle to survive, in the years since, he and his wife Dana have become major public figures -- he, delivering key speeches at national political events, earning Emmys for his brilliant directorial debut; she, appearing on television and on Broadway; together, creating a major charitable foundation for those with spinal cord injuries. How have they found the strength and inspiration to do what they are doing?To an astounding degree, they have found it in the thousands of letters, telegrams, e-mails, and cards that poured in from around the world when the news broke that Chris was gravely injured. From the legendary Katherine Hepburn, whose note is the very essence of her style ("Golly, what a mess!) to the series of letters from President Clinton, to the housewives and bankers and mechanics who saw in Chris and Dana their own struggles writ large, and who offered up their own hard-earned wisdom in an unforgettable gesture of hope and community.With great intelligence, charm, and grace, Dana Reeve takes us into the boxes of correspondence which have helped her family weather this ordeal. These letters, along with Dana's own story, create a rich and unforgettable tableaux of the triumph of the human spirit.