First published 2020
Steve Inskeep chronicles the extraordinary partnership between John and Jessie Frémont, America's first celebrity political couple. Born illegitimate in 1813, John Frémont worked from age thirteen to support his family in Charleston before climbing to Washington's elite circles. His marriage to Jessie Benton, daughter of influential Senator Thomas Hart Benton, created a formidable team. While John risked his life mapping thousands of miles of uncharted western territory, often losing expedition members to the dangers, Jessie transformed his field notes into bestselling books and dramatic reports that captivated the nation. She became his political strategist and a recognized force herself, helping elevate him to the Senate and ultimately to the Republican Party's first presidential nomination in 1856. Inskeep reveals how their intertwined ambitions shaped three pivotal American movements: westward expansion, women's rights, and the fight against slavery, making them central figures in the conflicts that would define the nation's character.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, power-couple
Setting: West, Washington
Period: 19th-Century
449 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press