Loving Frank: A Novel
by Nancy Horan
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Book Reviews of Loving Frank: A Novel
Book Review: A great choice for book clubs
Summary: 4 Stars
Brief summary, no spoiler -
This is the fictionalization of the affair between Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mamah Borthwick Cheney, that started in the early 1900s. We hear about Mamah's life, and see the story through her eyes.
Both FLW and Mamah left their respective families for each other, and did so in a time and place that showed no mercy for this type of action. While people in Europe were more welcoming to them, in America, their relationship was scandalized.
The fact is that the story (and the relationship) ended by a shocking event, yet for me, the draw of this book was Mamah's story. I thought the book was well written, and it was definitely a page-turner. I could not wait to get back to it when I put it down.
My only criticism is that in order to tell the story, the author obviously had to take great leeway in trying to put herself in Mamah's shoes (and mind.) On the whole, the story worked, but I did find myself frustrated at points because I thought that her attitude and thoughts were at times inconsistent, almost forced, and used more as a way for the plot to proceed.
All in all, highly recommended. I had never heard of Mamah Cheney before this, and her life, and relationship with FLW makes for a very interesting story. Shocking denouement withstanding.
Also, highly recommended for book clubs, because I guarantee you, everyone is going to have a different view of Mamah, and different opinions about the decisions she made.
Book Review: The Ending Left Me Shocked and Stunned
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book upon recommendation from a friend--it was the recommendation that kept me going as the first few chapters were somewhat dry and tedious. I completely missed the pull and attraction that Mamah Borthwick Cheney felt toward Frank Lloyd Wright and why either one would leave his/her family and risk so much to be together.
As the story went on and I gained additional insight into Mamah, her intellect and insight came much more into focus as did her reasons for leaving her family. In spite of this, I still had trouble understanding the attraction to Frank Lloyd Wright. While clearly brilliant and talented, he seemed to be a pompous and dishonest individual.
Since this is historical fiction, it is written around factual information about the situations that surrounded these two individuals. However, I knew nothing about Mamah Borthwick or her relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright prior to reading this book and was completely shocked and stunned by the ending.
It was only in how Mr. Wright responded to the events that unfolded at the end of the story that made me see beyond the arrogance into a complex individual who had enormous respect and great love for Mamah Borthwick.
After finishing Loving Frank, I wanted to learn as much as I could about these two individuals, especially Mamah Borthwick, and the events that surrounded the novel's ending. This is generally a sign of a well-written piece of historical fiction.
Book Review: Good Book Club Book, but Ultimately Unsatisfying
Summary: 2 Stars
Just finished discussing Loving Frank for book club. It is well researched, in terms of facts. But the characters' actions were so scandalous, and regarding Mamah's parental instincts, fairly inconceivable in any time (but especially back then!) that it commands the historical fiction author to really shine a light on the motivations and shaping backgrounds of both parties to make the book a worthwhile endeavor. The book club consensus was that wasn't quite achieved by Nancy Horan. The other serious problem I personally had with this book is that the ending is in no way foreshadowed, leaving the unsuspecting reader shocked and disturbed without warning, and with very little wrap-up regarding the remaining characters' reactions to the final event. The only book club discussion it generated was along the lines of 'people shouldn't have affairs', and 'how could a mother leave preschool-age children for two years?'...but once we got done with that bashing, and a little bit of discussion about the limit to women's choices in the early 20th century, there were no deeper truths except for wondering why the characters would behave so badly. This book should have given us a feel for the possible answers to that question, leading to some kind of compassion for the characters, but I feel it stops short of achieving that goal. It may be there just wasn't enough historical information, but that is where the fictional license must take over to create a solid read.Book Review: I'm Dumbfounded
Summary: 4 Stars
I finished Loving Frank late last night and well into this morning, I'm still pondering the book; 320 pages of an evenly paced reading U-turns at the remaining 30 pages with a plot twist I did not see coming and left me finishing the book with my chin on the floor and tears in my eyes.
The story is based on the 7 year love affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and one of his married clients, Mamah Borthwick. Apparently there is very little historical documentation about Mamah's life, and certainly less about the love affair. To this end, Nancy Horan has done an amazing job of writing an exhaustive love story. One also gets a nice insight to the historical setting; early 20th century America/Europe in the throws of cultural transition, the women's suffrage movement, and the advent of Wright's groundbreaking "organic" architecture. At face value this makes for a well paced, historical fiction novel. Although I truthfully didn't like any of the characters in the book, least of all Wright, I could appreciate their torment in carrying on what at the time was a scandal of the highest order and I very much the story taken as a whole.
However, the ending was just so shocking that I can honestly say I've finished this book completely dumbfounded. I cannot summarize Loving Frank in one word, but I will encourage others to read it.
Rating: 4 our of 5 Stars
Suggested With: Iced tea and a quiet summer afternoon.
Book Review: Interesting book...but superficial.
Summary: 3 Stars
I found this book simultaneously fascinating and overly sentimental; painting deep pictures of characters without revealing depth of feeling.
It speculates at emotion and motive, but it feels like it never does more than scratch the surface. However, because it is based on fact (the thoughts and feelings of the characters are partially speculative, and partially based on fragments of old letters and accounts) it has a natural draw to it, and one cannot help but fill in some of the blanks with historical information.
I went into this book NOT knowing--through some miracle of chance and gap in my education--how it would end. This made the story seem incredibly abrupt to me--but hey, it's an abrupt thing that happened. However, the characterization--where the author has the most leeway--feels extraordinarily drawn-out and slowly paced in comparison to the facts that had to go into the story.
I'm also torn on decrying the book as following a cliched line. After all, it is *what happened* for the most part, so if it is cliche, it is only cliche in fact. This is most evident in the perceptions of the lovers of one another; slow-growing friendship turned to passion and a love seen through the eyes of perfect love, glorious, stimulating lovers...and then the shattering of illusions comes. Predictably, awfully... accurately? Perhaps it just could have been handled better.