Loving Frank: A Novel

I found Mamah very selfish. I didn't feel like the book did a good job of showing Frank's attraction. She leaves her boring husband for the exciting Frank Loyd Wright. Edwin is kind, dependable and loves her. The book tries to say she need to be free of Edwin to really express and discover herself. But Edwin was proud of her intelligence and had no problem with her involvement in the Woman's movement during their marriage Frank on the other hand is unreliable and always thinks of himself first.

Mamah believes children will understand her actions. She thinks her being happy is so important, that it truly is the best thing for her children to have a happy mother..

She just expects her sister to step in and help the children. Mamah only relizes how much she has upset her sister's life.when she tries to reconcile with her sister.

Mamah works to translate Ellen Key. She sees in Ellen's philosphy justification of her actions, ignoring Ellen's beliefs about children.

The book ends tragically. ( )

I liked the writing of this book a lot, but I thought the main character was extremely immature and annoying. I could not sympathize with her at all. ( )

Powerful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I highly recommend this one! I didn't think I would like it as much as I did!The story is consistent in its "speed" throughout the book. But the end comes up so fast and ends so quickly,it left me breathless. ( )

may 2013

Loving Frank – Nancy Horan –narrated by Joyce Bean
4 stars
Loving Frank is a detailed historical fiction about the love affair of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. It is Mamah’s story of the advent of the affair and its life-changing consequences. Nancy Horan has done a devastating job of portraying Mamah’s struggle for self- realization and her grief at the overwhelming consequences of her decisions. It isn’t a happy story. The love affair made headline news in a time when divorce was very much a social scandal. Frank Lloyd Wright was a genius, but he was also selfish, self- involved and completely irresponsible in his spending habits. The sad thing about reading this story was that I couldn’t even hope for an eventually happy outcome. I knew the history of the tragic ending.
It was, however, a very interesting book. It gave me insight into the “woman” movement in America and Europe. Mamah Borthwick was an extremely educated woman. She spoke 4 or 5 languages and had a master’s degree, but as a divorced woman she was unable to earn a living because no one would hire her.

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