In 2003, Pat Tillman, serving in the US Army, hastily wrote a "just in case" letter to his wife, Marie. When he returned on leave before his departure to Afghanistan, he placed the letter on top of their bedroom dresser. For months it sat there, sealed and ever-present, like a black hole through which Marie knew her stable life would be pulled if she ever had reason to open it. Then, in April 2004, Marie's worst nightmare came true. In the days following Pat's death, it was his letter that kept her going—and more than that—it was his words that would help her learn to navigate a world she could no longer share with her husband. In The Letter , Marie talks for the first time about her journey to remake her life after Pat's death. Filled with the lessons Marie learned and the wisdom she gained, The Letter is both a heart rending love story and an inspiring tale for anyone, young or old, whose life has taken an unexpected hard turn and who struggles to get back on the right path.