Don't Let the Fire Go Out! (Hardcover, New)

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 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 seat in congress--it also covers her family, her years of growing up in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and her marriage to Mel Carnahan. The book includes a section on her role as the governor's wife and vividly portrays her life in the Governor's Mansion. It also provides insight into Mel Carnahan's devotion to public service. Jean Carnahan recounts her own introduction to the 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, and countless other experiences, including her defeat in the reelection campaign of 2002. 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.