| Description |
325 pages ; 23 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| Contents |
1 "... a leg to stand on ..." 1 -- 2 "... the train coming at us ..." 24 -- 3 "The pandemic grows long here ..." 48 -- 4 "Deep breath ... I can do this ..." 66 -- 5 "... this feels like the end of the world." 84 -- 6 "... the kick or the hug ..." 104 -- 7 "... a place in my heart that's been closed ..." 124 -- 8 "... in the midst of hope there is horror ..." 147 -- 9 "... the highest possible level of lunacy ..." 172 -- 10 "... the continued slight let-up ..." 191 -- 11 "... we all readjust at different speeds." 217 -- 12 "The needs of the many ..." 237 -- 13 "... in other words, leadership." 259. |
| Summary |
"This trip to the "Vacationland" of Maine -- where the state motto is I Lead -- offers an inspiring tale of civility and purpose, of doing the right thing and not just surviving, but prevailing. The first woman to serve as governor of Maine, Janet Mills, had been in office a year when COVID-19 reached the United States. The recently-widowed 72-year-old wrote in her journal there is "no playbook for a pandemic" as she imposed unprecedented restrictions on her state. When early support for the governor's response curdled to rampant opposition, a young mother named Ashirah Knapp sent a letter of support from a remote homestead in the woods of Maine. Ashirah's handwritten dispatch detailed how the public health emergency was upending her family's life and livelihood, and she promised to keep writing "every week until we are through this time" to remind the governor how many Mainers supported her despite the disruption. Ashirah's letters, with their simple wisdom and striking penmanship, stood out in a flood of correspondence Governor Mills was receiving that ranged in tone from appreciative to furious. They helped keep her grounded as she made wrenching, often unpopular choices. Shannon A. Mullen weaves from these two women's letters and the governor's journal, which were never intended for publication, an intimate and compelling true story that is a celebration of civility and compassion in the face of rancor and of resolve in the face of adversity."-- Provided by publisher |
| Subject |
Maine. Governor (2019- : Mills)
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COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Political aspects.
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Governors.
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Governors -- Maine.
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Communicable diseases -- Prevention.
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Letters.
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Maine.
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| Added Author |
Mills, Janet T.
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Maine. Governor (2019- : Mills)
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| Added Title |
How a young mother's weekly letters to her governor helped both women brave the first pandemic year |
| ISBN |
9781586423681 |
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1586423681 |
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