Don't Let the Fire Go Out!

By Jean Carnahan

The slogan Don't Let the Fire Go Out became the guiding force for Jean Carnahan as she confronted life's challenges after her husband, son, and longtime friend were killed in a plane crash on October 16, 2000. The wife of Mel Carnahan, the well-known and highly respected Missouri governor and popular leader of the Democratic Party, Jean Carnahan made history when she agreed to serve in the U.S. Senate after Missouri voters elected her husband to the position posthumously. Don't Let the Fire Go Out is a fascinating and compelling look at the life of this amazingly strong woman. Although the emphasis in this book is on the years 2000 through 2002--as Carnahan survived the tragic deaths of her loved ones and made her push forward with the campaign to fill what would have been her husband's Senate seat--it also covers her family, her years of growing up in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and her marriage to Mel Carnahan. She offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at life in the Governor's Mansion during her years as Missouri's First Lady. The book also provides insight into Mel Carnahan's devotion to public service. Jean Carnahan recounts her own introduction to the U.S. Senate, her struggle with the decision to vote against the confirmation of John Ashcroft as attorney general, her interactions with other senators, the loss of her Missouri farmhome to fire, a trip to Afghanistan, her reelection defeat in 2002, and countless other experiences that shaped her life and thought.Don't Let the Fire Go Out is an intimate and revealing memoir of an extraordinary woman who overcame great tragedy to become the first woman from Missouri to serve as a United States senator. Resilient, intelligent, and charming, Jean Carnahan will inspire all who read her remarkable story.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826215130
• ISBN13: 9780826215130
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: University of Missouri Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.4"
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Poignant, Interesting, and Funny

I'm a huge admirer of Jean Carnahan. What a woman! She stepped out of the "shadows" into the light at the worst time of her life and we are all the richer for it. She states immediately that this book isn't a sad one. No, it isn't, but that doesn't mean that I didn't shed a few tears while reading it. She has a wonderful gift for storytelling and I found myself laughing out loud many, many times. Most of all, I'm uplifted by her strength and courage. Her life is proof that, no matter your age, life can begin again after devastating tragedies and triumph. You go, girl! I highly recommend this book.

highly recommended

outstanding book by a phenomenal writer and storyteller. recommended to anyone looking for inspiration by someone who has overcome the most terrible tragedy.