Why NPR's Steve Inskeep wrote a book on Jessie and John Frémont

If reading is your escape from reality, this author interview may not be for you.

Because not only is NPR host Steve Inskeep’s new book about politics, it emphasizes the connection of past politics with our present-day situation.

Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity and Helped Cause the Civil War takes place in a time of great demographic change, like what we're in today, Inskeep explains to his co-worker Michel Martin.

Inskeep also explains his inspiration for the book and his admiration for Jessie, the female half of this “power couple,” in his interview to promote the book, which releases tomorrow.

Listen to Inskeep and Martin below or read a transcript of their conversation on NPR.

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