The Secrets of Dawson Mills


A charming, romantic comedy featuring a con artist, a high-stakes poker game, a kidnapped Chihuahua, broken trust, and some shady business with a Ukrainian business tycoon — all in a small town Missouri in the seventies.

Published on CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

I'm Humdinger

And How You Can Be One, Too, with the Help of a Child


A feel good kind of book, that will cause you to look at your life and the children in your life, in a whole new way.  A perfect gift for parents, grandparents, and those you love.

Published on CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

A Little Help from My Friends

and Other Hilarious Tales of Graying Graciously


Oh, so funny
!  Carnahan writes: “It took me seventy-seven years to figure out life, but with the help of my friends Edna and Verna, I’ve done it.” These opinionated septuagenarians take on the aggravations of aging with sunny abandonment.  A witty, Erma Bombeck-style look at everyday life from a senior’s perspective.

Published by Vantage Point Press, New York, 2011

The Tide Always Comes Back

and Other Irrefutable Truths and Assurances


This template for living is woven with hope, humor and gentle reminders of what we know to be true. Carnahan finds faith and family to be the most cherished of traveling companions on her incredible life’s journey.

Published by Skyhorse Publishing, New York, 2009

Don’t Let the Fire Go Out!


An autobiography packed with hope and triumph, featuring Jean Carnahan’s years as First Lady of Missouri and U.S. Senator with a inside account of the events surrounding the death of her oldest son and Gov. Carnahan in a plane crash just weeks before the 2000 U.S. Senate election.

Published by the University of Missouri Press, 2004

Christmas at the Mansion:

Its Memories and Menus


A collectors' item filled with 140-colorful pictures and featuring the magnificent Missouri Governor’s Mansion at Christmas along with favorite Mansion recipes.

Published by Missouri Mansion Preservation, 1999

If Walls Could Talk

A 430-page coffee table-size book with over 600 pictures, telling the stories—sometimes sad, sometimes funny—of the First Families of Missouri and the times in which they lived.

Published by Missouri Mansion Preservation, 1998

Will You Say a Few Words?


Storytelling, laughter, and inspiration are woven into this collection of Jean Carnahan’s speeches while First Lady of Missouri, ranging from brief remarks to a keynote address, “Born to Make Barrels” selected for inclusion in Vital Speeches of the Day.

Printed by Walsworth Publishing Co. 2000