The efforts of one person's dream to reconnect her family has now energized five generations to come together to celebrate their family's proud traditions. A sister of twelve siblings decided she wanted to give herself a birthday party. However, her brothers and sisters lived in five different states. Without much prodding the birthday celebration quickly became their first family reunion. The Candle That's Burned for Thirty Years, is 1/3 about a family reunion that grew from 143 to over 400 family members, instantly. And the discovery of their ancestors who were slaves owned by the 11th President of the United States of America President James K. Polk]. It's a must read for those that want to reignite the passion between distant kinships and for those that want to learn how to negotiate and plan larger reunions with hotel chains. The third section of the book does a noticeable job of sharing stories that emphasize the importance of sharing and protecting family's values.