Loving Frank

Overly slow story telling. I was eager to read this biographical novel on Frank Lloyd Wright! Amazing architect! That he found love in an adulterous relationship is not as scandelous today as it was 100 years ago. I wasn't disheartened in my opinion of him because of this. Unfortunately, this story, few in page count, was long in the tooth, so to say. The last 10 pages were dramatically the best, but didn't make up for the first 360 slow-paced, drawn out build-up, inconcise, not to the point, with too much hemming and hawing. ( )

This historical fiction novel is a mixture of fact and fiction. Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney were both married when they meet and fell in love. After conducting a clandestine affair, the couple scandalized Oak Park society by leaving their families and running off to Europe to live together. Although the couple eventually returned to Wisconsin, the scandal continued to hound their lives. The story focuses on Mamah who became an early feminist and how loving Frank changed her life.

A beautifully written fictional account of the affair between the celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the wife of one of his clients. Covering the period from Wright's exile from Oak Park up to the horrific incident at Taliesin. Highly recommended. ( )

This was a birthday gift from a friend who knows i love Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and that i am an avid fiction reader. And away i went.....realizing immediately that i knew virtually nothing about FLW beyond his buildings.....and for that i am grateful.....the book's impact would have been greatly diminished had i known more of his story. the book is based on fact. So, as the book progressed, i was constantly torn as to whether i was to like the main characters, feel sorry for the main characters or be annoyed and frustrated with them.....i could never quite figure out where it was headed (again, my ignorance...). It is more or less of a 'chick-book' love story with doses of early 1900's feminist activism, larger-than-life egos, infidelities and lots of day-to-day life in that era. But the ending was completely shockingly unexpected for me (my ignorance yet again!) and thus saved it from a lower rating than i gave it. Who knew??? And I occasionally still think about it weeks later, certainly a positive for any book. So, in spite of the below 4-star rating, i do recommend the book to any fans of his architecture....but DO NOT study up prior to reading this if you want the best experience. Oh, and one MAJOR pet peeve of mine....the main female character's name is 'Mamah'.........pronounced how???? well my mind chose one way to pronounce it to myself, and then halfway through the book, the pronunciation was clarified.....DIFFERENT from mine!!!!! GRRRRRRR>>>>>either tell us in the beginning or leave us be for goodness sake!!! btw------to save you all.......it is 'May'-muh' ( )

Finished. This is a must read! I eagerly await Horan's next book. I highly recommend reading Drennan's non-fictional [book:Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders] concomitantly. It's not the best written, but provides fascinating detail to supplement Horan's work.

This a really an excellent fictional biography of the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mahma, a woman who had a profound influence on his life and work. ( )