Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Loving Frank: A Novel

I think I've mentioned it here before, but I'll say it again -- I absolutely love Frank Lloyd Wright's work. There is something about his architecture and his art glass that resonates with me. The long, horizontal lines; the wind-swept prairie elements; the banded windows that allow views of only the treetops; his immaculate attention to detail -- I really do love it all. I visited his home and studio when I was visiting Oak Park outside of Chicago (and did not want to leave!), and I would love to see more of his work in person. Anyway, I can't believe it took me this long to pick up Loving Frank. I finally read it for a book club meeting that I ended up not attending because I was a Big Bag of Sick for a few weeks.

This book tells fictionalized account of the affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah (May-mah) Cheney. The story is gleaned from the very few source documents that historians have from FLW and Mamah, and I thought Horan did a good job of weaving them into an engaging love affair story. I'm never one to sanction an affair, but Horan did a good job creating characters that were able to justify the affair in their own way, while creating a back-drop of scandalized family members and neighbors. I also liked Mamah's involvement with the Women's Lib movement -- learned some interesting history there. I think I was more taken with Mamah than I was with Frank! The ending wasn't a surprise since I already knew the history behind what happens. If you're not familiar with the story, the ending is definitely...wow.