Loving Frank by Nancy Horan Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Loving Frank
Book Review: a strong woman who found the strength
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a book about a woman with stron feelings for the legendary architech, Frank Lloyd Wright and the implications her romance with him causes. It's also about a strong woman who found the strength to follow her heart against the gravest circumstances. Book Review: Loving Frank: A Novel
Summary: 4 Stars
Not only is the story interesting, but it is extremely well written. A very complex and emotional life for all. Book Review: An Engrossing Read
Summary: 4 Stars
Loving Frank is a great, engrossing read, the story of the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney, a relationship that began when both were married, with children, to other people. A relationship of that kind would be shocking today, and Nancy Horan does a great job of conveying the absolute scandal it created a hundred years ago. The scandal, however is not the focus of the book. Rather, it is the relationship between these two soul mates and how their individual flaws slowly surface and chip away, but not completely, at their relationship. These two historical figures were indeed unique characters in their brilliance and inability to really see the scandal and hurt their love creates. Horan's novel is engrossing and readable. She manages to make both characters likeable, if not entirely sympathetic. My only complaint is that the novel starts off rather slowly. Once you are past the first 50 pages or so, the pacing picks up, making this novel a thoroughly engrossing read. Horan writes extremely well, so even those first 50 pages are quite enjoyable to read. This novel would be an excellent choice for any book club--an enjoyable read with many provocative topics to discuss and explore.Book Review: A great introduction to Frank Lloyd Wright
Summary: 5 Stars
I knew almost nothing about Frank Lloyd Wright's personal life before reading this book and I must say for someone that does not usually enjoy historical fiction, this book is a winner. I was shocked that I couldn't put it down after the first chapter and that I found myself sympathizing with all characters which shows the mark of a truly talented writer. If you don't know the ending (which I didn't) don't read ahead! The shock value alone is incredible. I have been reading much more about Wright and even architecture since reading this book.Book Review: Haunting
Summary: 4 Stars
A haunting and beautifully written book about the doomed love affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Although I had a difficult time relating to Mamah Cheney's decision to leave her children to pursue a life with Frank Lloyd Wright, in the end I had a great deal of pity for her. I felt that the author did a poor job in her portrayal of Catherine Wright, who comes across as a pathetic nincompoop, rather than a mistreated and abandoned wife. Also, Mamah Cheney's sudden realization towards the end of the book that her lover was a colossal egoist and a liar seems a bit far-fetched, as a woman of her intelligence and insight would surely have realized the character of the man with whom she was living after learning that he had left his wife with a $900 grocery bill (a not insignificant sum in those days) in order to flee to Europe with her. However, the novel continues to haunt me days after I finished it, and it has left me with a curiosity to learn more about the two central characters.