Henri Nouwen describes the serious accident which changed his life and perceptions at the beginning of 1989. With great clarity he relives the experiences leading up to the accident, the slow recovery and the strong realization that this had been a turning point in his life and a gift from God which he must learn to recognize. Henry J.M. Nouwen is a Roman Catholic priest. After a distinguished teaching career at Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard he decided to share his life with mentally handicapped people in the L'Arche Community in Canada, where he is now the chaplain. His many previous books included Reaching Out.