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Somewhere In Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story Of Dana And Christopher Reeve (2008)

by Christopher Andersen(Favorite Author)

4.01 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1401323022 (ISBN13: 9781401323028)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Hachette Books

review 1: Review for The Bookshelf Reviews (bookshelfreviews.blogspot.com)Christopher Reeve became the world's Superman, but his real-life struggle with spinal cord paralysis showed a strength far surpassing the comic book hero's, present both in him and his wife, Dana. Their stories, from their time of meeting to their reunion in heaven, are eloquently recalled in Christopher Andersen's Somewhere in Heaven.This heart-breaking recollection of one of the most beautiful relationships to see Hollywood collects the family's best and worst times, from Christopher's first sight of his future wife to the horse accident that left him paralyzed. Their story, dotted with emotionally shattering moments, was one of true love and trust, as Dana took the full-time role of caregiver to her disable... mored actor husband, who, from his first awakening post-accident to his very last breath, felt the hardship of raising a family without the ability to physically interact with his and Dana's son, Will. But through their hardships and struggles came hope and inspiration, as their constant lobbying for stem cell research brought spinal cord paralysis to its highest awareness and amazing breakthroughs, often in Reeve himself.Upon Reeve's devastating death, Dana continued her husband's inspirational endeavors until stage-4 lung cancer reunited her with her husband less than two years later. However, sonWill and Christopher's children with actress Gae Exton, Matthew and Alexandra, continue their parents' motivational work to raise awareness for spinal cord paralysis through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. And it is through them, as well as the timeless works Christopher and Dana left behind, that they will live on in the hearts of millions. An absolutely beautiful, tear-jerking read that should be on every bookshelf.
review 2: I am a big Superman fan. I’ve seen all the movies, read a ton of comics and graphic novels, and own several action figures and tee shirts, too. Naturally, I became a fan of Christopher Reeve, who starred in the four movies in the late seventies and eighties. While Reeve will forever be linked to his role as the Man of Steel, his career continued — with varying degrees of success — in such films as Somewhere in Time and The Remains of the Day. Of course, I was shocked and saddened along with the rest of the world to learn of Chris’ paralyzing horse riding accident in 1995. But, I was also impressed with his efforts to recover and spread the word about spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and new research opportunities. Equally impressive is that he continued his acting career in a remake of the Hitchcock classic Rear Window and with a role on the television show Smallville. I also read, loved, and highly recommend Reeve’s autobiography, written while recovering from the accident, Still Me.These roles and events may be what we know and admire Chris for, but they barely scratch the surface of who he really was. Andersen’s book does a marvelous job telling the reader about Christopher and Dana Reeve’s lives away from the cameras, as well as in front of them. How Christopher, a graduate of Julliard and a huge star after Superman, returned to Williamstown, MA each summer for the annual theater festival to continue working on his craft. It was there that he met Dana, a singer and actress, who turned out to be the love of his life. Their courtship is a touching tale, especially considering the complications of Chris’s celebrity, his children from a previous relationship, and his deep-seated fear of marriage.No great love story is as simple as falling in love and living happily ever after. In addition to Chris’s fear of marriage, their individual careers, the complications of a blended family, and the horrible accident that robbed Reeve of his ability to move below his neck were some of the bigger challenges they faced. Friends, family, and even Dana herself said that what happened to Chris took them way beyond the vows of “in sickness and in health.” She was a tireless caregiver to Chris, while also raising their son, Will, helping with Christopher’s charity work, especially the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, and pursuing her own career. Their love story had a doubly tragic end. Not only did Chris die of cardiac arrest in October of 2004, but just a year later Dana, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in 2006.What made this true story even better than Andersen’s talent as a biographer is the fact that the audio book is narrated by actor, and close friend of the Reeve’s, Edward Herrmann. Whether or not you are a fan of Superman, if you want to read (or listen to) a great American love story, try the aptly named Somewhere in Heaven. less

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