We’re well acquainted with Abraham Lincoln the country lawyer, the principled statesman, the revered martyr. In a discussion of his new historical novel Courting Mr. Lincoln, author Louis Bayard fleshes out the personal side of our 16th president—through the eyes of the two people who knew him best, spirited young debutante and wife-to-be Mary Todd and handsome, charming roommate and confidant Joshua Speed.

Bayard sits down for a public conversation with David Von Drehle, the Kansas City area-based columnist for The Washington Post and author of the nonfiction book Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year.

Courting Mr. Lincoln spotlights the early days of the Lincoln-Todd relationship, which deepened despite the awkwardness of the rough and reticent president-to-be. Mary, however, had to confront his inseparable friendship with Speed, who had taught Abe how to dance, dress, and navigate polite society.

Bayard, who has been nominated for Edgar Allen Poe and crime writers’ Dagger awards, is also a nationally recognized essayist and critic. His conversation with Von Drehle is co-presented by Rainy Day Books.