Book 22 of 52: Loving Frank

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but I've been very behind in my blog entries. It also took me a while to process how I felt about this book.  What I can tell you is that Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous architect, apparently had quite the life. Not only was married-with-kids Wright passionate about his work, but he had the hots for another woman.

The woman, Mamah (pronounced MAY-ma) Borthwick Cheney, first enters Wright’s world when she and her husband, Edwin, enlist the architect to build their dream home in a Chicago suburb. It's during this time Mamah and Frank form a bond that will be tested in every way a love affair can be. 

Mamah does what women in the early 1900s rarely, if ever, did. The free-spirited college grad ditches hubby and the kids to pursue her relationship with Wright, and her writing of feminist literature.

She abandons her children when they need her most, telling them "I'm going on a small vacation [that lasts two years]…just for me." I could not understand how a woman could walk away from her children, her flesh & blood. Especially since at the time her son was about the same age as my older son (age 6), and her daughter, the same age as my youngest son (age 1). I simply cannot imagine walking out the door and not coming back for two years, no matter who I loved or what my dreams were.

In the book, the resulting scandal sends the lovers to Europe where they pursue their passions — architecture, writing and each other. But their choices continue to have consequences across the pond. His business practices are clearly questionable and financial turmoil strikes. She struggles with loneliness while her writing career suffers fits and starts. Success for Mamah and Frank is brief and fleeting. Returning to the States brings little relief, as the tabloids hound them and society shuns them. Finally, they start over at Taliesin, a beautiful home Wright designs in Wisconsin. And it is there the two are able to find some peace and tranquility, working toward their “happily every after” that unfortunately never comes.

I don't want to give away the ending, but I had no idea of the story of Mamah & FLW. It hit me like an emotional punch to the gut.

This is Nancy Horan's first novel and I think she did a terrific job. Any book that makes me want to research more has done it's job. I love looking at photos of Frank's work, learning about the homes he created, and look forward to seeing his work close up some day.