#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! Dr. Mary Neal tells the incredible story of the near-death experience that took her to heaven—where she encountered God’s peace, joy, and angels—and back to life again. In 1999 in the Los Ríos region of southern Chile, orthopedic surgeon, devoted wife, and loving mother Dr. Mary Neal drowned in a kayak accident. While cascading down a waterfall, her kayak became pinned at the bottom and she was immediately and completely submerged. Despite the rescue efforts of her companions, Dr. Neal was underwater for too long, and as a result, she died. To Heaven and Back is Dr. Neal’s remarkable story of her life’s spiritual journey and what happened as she moved from life to death to eternal life, and back again. Detailing her feelings and surroundings in heaven, her communication with angels, and her deep sense of sadness when she realized it wasn’t her time, Dr. Neal shares the captivating experience of her modern-day miracle. Dr. Mary Neal’s life has been forever changed by her newfound understanding of her purpose on earth. Her awareness of God, her closer relationship with Jesus, and her personal spiritual journey was suddenly enhanced by a first-hand experience in heaven. To Heaven and Back will reacquaint you with the hope, wonder, and promise of heaven, while enriching your own faith and walk with God. New York Times  bestseller CBA bestseller ECPA bestseller LA Times  bestseller Publisher Weekly  bestseller USA Today bestseller Wall Street Journal  bestseller MARY C. NEAL, MD , is a board-certified orthopedic spinal surgeon. She studied at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, and completed her orthopedic residency at the University of Southern California. She is the former director of spine surgery at the University of Southern California. Dr. Neal is the author of two bestsellers based on her near-death experience— To Heaven and Back and 7 Lessons from Heaven . She has been a featured guest on Fox & Friends, NBC’s The Today Show, Dr. Oz, and other major media outlets. A sought after inspirational speaker, she has served as a church elder and on several non-profit organizations. Dr. Neal lives with her family in Jackson Hole, WY. Prologue “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” —Helen Keller   God and His angelic messengers are present and active in our world today and this involvement and intervention is both ordinary in its frequency and extraordinary in its occurrence. Despite leading what I would consider a very ordinary life, I have had the privilege of being touched by God in visible and very tangible ways. One of these experiences began on January 14, 1999, when I was vacationing in South America with my husband. While boating, I was pinned underwater in my kayak and drowned. I died and went to heaven. After a brief stay, I was returned to my body. I returned to my earthly life with two shattered legs and severe pulmonary problems. I was hospitalized for more than a month, wheelchair bound for even longer, and did not return to my orthopaedic surgery practice for more than six months. Many have described my accident as terrible and tragic. I describe it as one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. The series of events surrounding my accident and recovery were nothing short of miraculous. Not only did I have the privilege of experiencing heaven, but I continued to experience the intensity of God’s world and conversed with Jesus several times in the weeks after my return. Through this experience and conversation, I gained an understanding of many of life’s important questions, such as “What happens when we die?”, “Why are we here?”, and “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I also gained an understanding of the disciple Paul’s statement from 1 Corinthians 13 that of faith, hope, and love, the most enduring is love. I already had reasons to believe in miracles, but taking a journey to heaven and back transformed my faith into knowledge and my hope into reality. My love remained unchanged and everlasting. One of the several reasons for my return to earth was to tell my story to others and help them find their way back to God. During my initial recovery, I was invited to share my story with small groups in my community and these people shared my story with their friends and family. As it was spread to many parts of the country, I was often told of the profound impact my story made on the lives of the people who heard it. In the process of sharing, I realized that my story does not really belong to me, but to God and is meant to be shared. It has inspired many people, stimulated discussion, and has often resulted in a rejuvenated relationship with God. It has lessened people’s fear of death and increased their passion for living a full and meaningful life. My story has deepened people’s faith and