The World I Fell Into

A moving and frank memoir about living with a disability after a tragic accident. Melanie Reid was fifty-two years old when she fell from her horse, breaking her neck and fracturing her lower back. In an instant, her life changed forever. Paralyzed from the chest down, Melanie spent nearly one year in the hospital working toward gaining as much movement in her body as possible, and learning to navigate her way through a world that had previously been invisible to her. As a journalist, she had always turned to words. As a quadrapalegic person, her mind was still working: she could speak, record her voice, and use a laptop with one finger. Writing would be her lifeline. Melanie writes about disability, recovery, trauma, and relationships with both a generous spirit, frank honesty, and an irreverent sense of humor. Above all, she offers an authentic message of hope. The World I Fell Into reminds us to practice gratitude for what we have, right now, for the world can change in a moment's notice.