Book Review Loving Frank

 BOOK REVIEW LOVING FRANK

This rich, compelling, imaginative work allows us to see into the private emotional lives of two intriguing people: Frank Lloyd Wright, the man who significantly influenced American architecture for over fifty years, and Mamah Cheney, the woman who loved him.

“Loving Frank” is Nancy Horan's first book. It is the story of the scandalous affair between the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. The story is told from Mamah's perspective. The writing is first-rate and is the perfect book club selection with discussion questions at the end.

I knew about Frank Lloyd Wright but had yet to learn about his personal life and how it shaped him throughout his career. Nancy Horan pieced together facts and personalities to make this book come to life. Whether you agree with the decisions Frank and his mistress, Mamah, made or not, it makes for a great discussion. 

It was 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, when Mamah Borthwick Cheney and her husband Edwin Cheney returned from their honeymoon. Edwin was a successful engineer and president of Wagner Electric Company. He was a kind man and rarely complained. All he wanted in life was a home full of children, friends, and good times. Edwin pursued Mamah until she agreed to marry him.

Mamah was an educated woman of thirty and a translator who spoke several languages. They moved into the house she grew up in called Queen Anne. Edwin wanted a new and modern home, so he commissioned the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design the home. Mamah and Catherine Wright, Frank's wife, belonged to the same club. Mamah spoke with Catherine, and she arranged a meeting for Edwin and Mamah at Frank's studio. When they showed up at Frank's studio, they saw a very handsome man with wavy hair and intelligent eyes who was around thirty-five years old. He was known to people as a man who was eccentric, arrogant, and narcissistic. The prominent architect who worked for Frank was a woman named Marion Mahoney. Together, they worked on a sketch, and by the end of the afternoon, Edwin and Mamah had a sketch they took home.

It was during the construction of the house that Frank and Mamah became attracted to each other and ended up having an affair. Mamah loved Frank and wanted more out of life than being a mother. She was an independent woman, well-educated, and a feminist. She wanted her freedom to improve her status as a translator and become well known.

Frank and Mamah decided to leave their marriages. Frank had six children with Catherine and Mamah, and Edwin now had two children, John and Martha. So Frank and Mamah took off for Europe, abandoning their children and spouses. This move was the talk of the town, and their lives would never be the same. 

This novel is about love, motherhood, loss, adultery, and the need to find personal strength at all costs. Horan is a gifted writer to be commended for piecing together facts and personalities to make this book come to life and create an engaging story. 

Taliesin was Frank Lloyd Wright's crown jewel, a home in southern Wisconsin he built for the love of his life, Mamah Cheney. The house is open to the public for tours.