Jan 25
Loving Frank
I just finished "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan
It's written as historical fiction, with much of it factual. The author spent years researching the stories and trying to reconstruct how Frank and his lady love, Mamah, lived and loved during the early 1900's.
Nancy Horan lived in the same neighborhood as the FLW home built for Mamah and her husband, so she has first-hand knowledge of the people, the society, and of course, the architecture of the area.
Frank Lloyd Wright comes across as very egotistical..he thinks normal rules don't apply to him..and that his artistic ability gives him special privileges.....hard to live with that kind of personality!! In addition, he had NO practical or business sense, so he often left the laborers and merchants in the lurch- payment wise.....not a way to gain popularity.
On the other hand, Mamah was well- educated, intelligent and forward-thinking. She gave up so much for what she considered a life on a higher level.....it's important to remember how difficult it would have been, in early 1900's, for a woman to leave her husband and children and go off with another man- especially one with the reputation of FLW. It's testament to the depth of her feelings and conviction that she was doing the right thing.
The book gives a good character study of all the other people touched by the affair of Mamah and Frank....one has to wonder if they thought that part through..it seems Mamah comes to that realization well after the fact.
I enjoyed the book, thought it was well-written and gave a glimpse of the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright- the excesses- the evolution of a whole new style of architecture that shook the current thinking....and how personal decisions have a far-reaching effect. No one can live insulated from the world and each decision casts a wide net. I won't spoil the ending for those that don't know it ( I didn't know what happened).
So, I give this book a "thumbs up" and recommend it as light reading, with a bit of history and sentiment tossed in.