Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Loving Frank: A Novel
Book Review: A romp through history
Summary: 5 Stars
Nancy Horan has witten a novel the surpases almost all others. It's a book about the choices we make and the results that can follow. A great historical romp for those who enjoy this genre. You might also enjoy: Landsman: A NovelBook Review: Compelling, passionate
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been an admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright and his works for over 20 years and have toured a number of his homes in Wisconsin and Illinois. I have also read accounts of his life including brief details about his relationship with Mamah Borthwick Cheney. For me, this novel portrays a realistic picture of Mamah, a woman quite ahead of her times, and the compelling and passionate reasons that pulled she and Wright together. The novel gives a loving account of the deep love and admiration they had for each other. Nancy Horan gives the reader a gentle and believable story of the intimate moments of their lives together, portrayed in their times as so "scandalous" and "tawdry." This book is truly a loving dedication to both Borthwick and Wright. Book Review: Started strong but I rapidly lost interest...
Summary: 2 Stars
The opening of this book was great but about 50 or 60 pages into the story I lost interest. I think it was because I couldn't relate to the main character's conflict. Maybe it's just my lack of understanding of that time period in history. It seemed to get pretty repetitive and felt kind of melodramatic/soap operaish, and soon I stopped caring what would happen. Usually, once I stop reading a book for that reason, I don't go back to it. Book Review: Loving Frank at the expense of others.
Summary: 4 Stars
Having visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio in Oak Park on vacation a few years ago, I was familiar with the tragic end of Frank and Mamah's relationship. I was delighted to find this book that might explain the story in an interesting way. While not giving any particular insight into Frank Lloyd Wright's intentions and feelings, the author Nancy Horan wrote a strong novel about Mamah's.
This book is well written, and Horan delved into Mamah's feminists beliefs and work. But the middle of the book, centered around her work with feminist Ellen Key, was the least interesting to me. It felt like Horan was trying to explain Mamah's abandonment of her children by illustrating how `forward thinking' she was. I couldn't buy it. This is not a complaint about the author or the book, but I could never understand how Mamah could walk away from her kids, and found it hard to suspend my judgement. In any case, this book is interesting enough to be recommended. Read it, and see what you think of Mamah.
Book Review: Brings History to Life
Summary: 5 Stars
This novel touches on the currents and issues facing America in the early 20th century A growing middle class, having left the farm for the city and suburb, is commissioning custom designed homes.
One theme is the role and situation of women. Teachers, librarians and other female workers are paid near poverty wages. Well off suburban women, like Mamah Cheney drive cars (albeit hand cranked) are free of domestic drudge (through low paid domestic help) and join clubs and form literary groups. What else do they do all day?
The times are well depicted, complete with the Bohemian cafes of Germany and the stateside canvassing for woman's sufferage. At the end Mamah worries about her European friends in the wake of the Archduke's assassination.
Nancy Horan brings to life a woman who left her comfortable home and marriage for the man who later becomes iconic. It is an operatic story, and a quick internet search shows that there is an opera, The Shining Brow, based on it.
The character of Mamah is lovingly drawn. This character is hard to reconcile with the woman who did not just leave her children, she took them to Colorado and cabled her husband to pick them up so that she could meet FLW in Germany. Once she did this, the Rubicon had been crossed. While the patient Edwin would take her back, how would this really work? What of her sister who had given so much for her and suffered public humiliation for Mamah's actions? Once Mamah leaves, there really is no going back.
Horan's portrait of Wright, while sympathetic includes his flaws. In Horan's interpretation, Wright is unable to tell Mamah, who left everything behind for him, neither his true financial status, nor his actual relations or communications with his wife and 6 children. These things seep into her consciousness when it is too late to turn back the clock.
The book sets the stage for what followed in Wright's life. Wright is not a young man and it's like starting all over. For those interested in the next stage of his life I highly recommend the non-fiction book Fellowship, The: The Untold Story of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Fellowship.
Horan is to be saluted not only for this work of fiction, but for the research. She has brought together a lot of important material, and while this is a work of fiction, it adds perspective on FLW and his legacy.