Loving Frank

A Novel

By: Nancy Horan

Narrated by: Joyce Bean

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The House of Lincoln, an “enthralling” novel that brings “the buried truths of the ill-starred relationship of Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright to light” (The New York Times Book Review).

“Masterful.”—People

“A fascinating love story.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Truly artful fiction.”—The New York Times

“I have been standing on the side of life, watching it float by. I want to swim in the river. I want to feel the current.”

So writes Mamah Borthwick Cheney in her diary as she struggles to justify her clandestine love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright. Four years earlier, in 1903, Mamah and her husband, Edwin, had commissioned the renowned architect to design a new home for them. During the construction of the house, a powerful attraction developed between Mamah and Frank, and in time the lovers, each married with children, embarked on a course that would shock Chicago society and forever change their lives.

Drawing on years of research, Horan weaves little-known facts into a compelling narrative, vividly portraying the conflicts and struggles of a woman forced to choose between the roles of mother, wife, lover, and intellectual. Mamah’s is an unforgettable journey marked by choices that reshape her notions of love and responsibility, leading inexorably to this novel’s stunning conclusion.

Elegantly written and remarkably rich in detail, Loving Frank is a fitting tribute to a courageous woman, a national icon, and their timeless love story.

Winner of the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction • One of the Best Books of the Year: The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor

©2007 Nancy Horan (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] thoughtful debut novel [that] pits morality against passion . . . the perfect selection to jump-start some satisfyingly heated arguments within your book club.”—USA Today

“The powerful writing imbues the tale with the terrible inevitability of a Greek tragedy.”—Chicago

“Loving Frank reveals what we expect to get from great fiction: timeless truths about ourselves.”—New York Daily News

Struggled at times but the ending, wow!

I really struggled with the author’s attempt to make the reader have pity on the main characters. Sorry. I couldn’t. They were both selfish people who made self absorbed decisions. They thought so highly of themselves they really didn’t care about the consequences of their actions. I would have stopped reading several times, but I was told the ending was quite unexpected. They were right. Wow!

How life was for women in the early 1900’s. The tragedy that Frank Lloyd Wright endured.

I enjoyed the story and had no idea of the tragedy in Wright’s life. I have admired his since my drafting class in my junior year of High School. I have books of homes as well as buildings he helped design. I wrote a paper about him for my staging class.
I have been to Taliesin East and West as well as his home and studio in Oak Park. I have enjoyed touring buildings in both CA (San Rafael Civic Center) as well as Arizona.
I was able to get my junior high teaching job in 1970 because I could teach drafting, math, and art. I taught many other subjects in my 37 year career at the same junior high school in Fremont!

FLW and his mistress…

I thought the book seemed light on ample detail of FLW’s upbringing, and the writing / narration was simple. I didn’t care for the narration that much, but found myself on an 8 hr road trip and looking to finish the story. Seemed to end abruptly… not much closure.

Should Have Read Myself

I enjoyed this story-however, the narration bothered & distracted me. The children voices sounded unrealistic and the male voices sounded stern & angry. Female narration was ok but over & over again I was wishing I was reading on my own vs. listening to the audio. I am a Frank Lloyd Wright fan so that alone intrigued me to listen through to completion.

Good History of FLW

The historical novel gave a good depiction of Frank Lloyd Wright. His character is described the same way in every account I have read. Even with his arrogance and disregard for others, I believe him to be a genius architect.

Inspired my career

As a 12 year old I saw an exhibit of Frank Lloyd Wright at San Diego Art Museum. I loved how he used nature and creativity to design. This inspired me to be a Civil Engineer.
I enjoyed this book and seeing how the author drew me into his passion of creating. I also really liked how Mamah challenged him and made him into wanting to be a better man.

Tragic Choices

The selfishness of the main character and the arrogance of Chicagoians toward Wisconsinites are a couple of things, (there were many) I found disturbing about this story. The latter issue is not exclusive to Illinois- Wisconsin. The story of City Mouse and Country Mouse comes to mind…
Illinois people should remain in Illinois if they feel it is superior to Wisconsin. This was apparently an issue then and continues today. Fill in the blank: ——- people should stay in —— if they think it is superior to ——.
As for woman’s suffrage, leaving your children to go to Europe and live a life footloose and fancy free is disgusting. The main character (with her ridiculous name and all) felt she should have been entitled to doing just that and having her kids too. Ugh! The book was well written, but there was way too much focus on woman’s rights issue…
The performance was good. The story was interesting and sadly, based on actual accounts.
Not saying the ending wasn’t tragic, but I can see why the nut-job found her privileged life disturbing.
The book inspired me to research more on Frank Loyd Wright and enlightened me on his work, career, and personal life. It was a good read.

Riveting

This book kept me engaged from beginning to end. I loved it. An amazing story!

Great Listen!

Not a book I would normally read but I grabbed it for a beach read. Didn't get it finished so I got the audible to finish it out. Good story, Sad at times but she pushed through her life knowing what she wanted and didn't stop until she got it.

Engaging Novel

Based on the lives of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick, this novel is excellently written with all the angst & emotions of these people who lived & loved.
The narrator has captured Mamah’s soft voice, yet powerful personality; Wright’s tortured soul & lack of self-examination.
Even the voices of the children at different ages were portrayed well.
Enjoyed every minute of this novel.