The singer, 60, who suffered a massive stroke in July 2013, still has difficulty speaking but that hasn’t stopped the couple from rebuilding a life together on their ranch in Tioga, Texas. The two communicate via “our seventh sense, if you would,” Mary, 60, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s issue. “Our communication is between hearts now, and not lips.”Mary and Randy Travis.Fredrik Broden

While the prognosis is different for every stroke survivor, Randy is continually making progress — and just celebrated his 60th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. “The whole third midsection of Randy’s left brain was affected, which is speaking, writing and reading,” Mary explains. “But each day there’s something new that he says or does.

”Now the singer is telling his own story with his new book, Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith and Braving the Storms of Life, out May 14. From his music career, which has earned him seven Grammy Awards, to his 19-year marriage to his former manager and their divorce as well as his struggles with alcohol abuse and anger, the book details all the highs and lows of Randy’s life.

Working with writer Ken Abraham, the singer “wanted people to understand that he’s human,” says Mary. “And that they can overcome too.”