Summary from GoodReads: I have been standing on the side of life, watching it float by. I want to swim in the river. I want to feel the current.
So writes Mamah Borthwick Cheney in her diary as she struggles to justify her clandestine love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright. Four years earlier, in 1903, Mamah and her husband, Edwin, had commissioned the renowned architect to design a new home for them. During the construction of the house, a powerful attraction developed between Mamah and Frank, and in time the lovers, each married with children, embarked on a course that would shock Chicago society and forever change their lives.
In this ambitious debut novel, fact and fiction blend together brilliantly. While scholars have largely relegated Mamah to a footnote in the life of America’s greatest architect, author Nancy Horan gives full weight to their dramatic love story and illuminates Cheney’s profound influence on Wright.
Drawing on years of research, Horan weaves little-known facts into a compelling narrative, vividly portraying the conflicts and struggles of a woman forced to choose between the roles of mother, wife, lover, and intellectual. Horan’s Mamah is a woman seeking to find her own place, her own creative calling in the world. Mamah’s is an unforgettable journey marked by choices that reshape her notions of love and responsibility, leading inexorably ultimately lead to this novel’s stunning conclusion.
Elegantly written and remarkably rich in detail, Loving Frank is a fitting tribute to a courageous woman, a national icon, and their timeless love story.
My Review: The research that was done for this book is amazing. This is a great book club read. There's a handy little guide for it in the back of the book as well.
I was a little disappointed that they didn't take the romance angle farther {yes I love my wild sex in books}, it was still amain focal point of the book but in a reserved way.
This book gives a refreshing view on Wright as told by Mamah. Their tragic ending is told in a vivid way as well.
A great book for anyone interested in history, Frank Lloyd Wright and/or a captivating story.
I was a little disappointed that they didn't take the romance angle farther {yes I love my wild sex in books}, it was still amain focal point of the book but in a reserved way.
This book gives a refreshing view on Wright as told by Mamah. Their tragic ending is told in a vivid way as well.
A great book for anyone interested in history, Frank Lloyd Wright and/or a captivating story.
RATING: ♥♥♥♥
Pages: 377
Softcover
Review copy of this book provided by the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. In no way did the provision of the book affect the outcome of my review.
I loved this book even though the Mamah and Frank were so unlikeable. I agree with you, Loving Frank was meticulously researched and after I read it researched the subject myself because the ending is so unbelievable. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't read this (hard to believe, but our library's copies still tend to be checked out on a constant basis). I'm interested in it, though, since I like Frank's architecture -- and went up to Spring Green, WI last year.
ReplyDeleteThis is definately on my to-read list after reading your review and the comments. I'm intrigued now!!
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I've had this one on my shelf for a while but haven't read it yet. I keep hearing decent things about it. And being from the midwest I thought I'd read a little local history.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one I'd pass on. I tend to like historical romance, but, from your review, I don't think it has enough of the romance aspect in it for me. Thanks for your honest review.
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