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A review by selenajournal
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
3.0
Frank Lloyd Wright designed beautiful and versatile homes that felt like they belonged with the nature that surrounded them. I’m pretty well acquainted with the homes that he’s built and his odd work techniques. Aside from technical knowledge, I knew nothing of him.
Loving Frank begins with a letter by Mamah Borthwick-Cheney. Her husband, Ed, was the one who wanted to build a new house - a modern house. She herself was fine with the house they lived in. Ed won that battle - and the house was to be built by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright.
From almost the moment they met, there was an undeniable attraction between them. Frank was enamored by the intelligence that he saw in Mamah and the potential that she had to do greater things. She, like all of the women Frank encountered, was drawn to his energy and his talent. And the love-affair began.
But not without snags. Frank’s wife found out of the affair - and asked him not to see her for a year - to give their marriage a chance. Frank and Mamah didn’t see each other for a year and her love for him nearly turned into resentment. Until he came to her, to whisk her away to Europe - without their partners or their children. Just the two of them for a year.
In Europe, Mamah was able to find a purpose. She, a strong feminist, started translating works for Ellen Key, the poster-child of the time for the suffrage movement. In the meantime, Frank was helping to create a book of all of his works. After some time, they moved back to Frank’s hometown to live with his family. At this time, Mamah was a divorced woman, free finally of the Mrs. Cheney label she so hated. They built a gorgeous home on a large piece of land inspired by the nature that surrounded it - meant to become the means to their self-sufficiency.
What I appreciated about this book was the details and the diary excerpts. It felt like you got closer to Mamah, whether or not you agreed with her love-affair, her abandonment of her children or her various seemingly self-serving acts (of course, the same could be said for Frank). Nancy Horan didn’t try to make either Frank or Mamah out to be saints. However, she didn’t judge their situation either.
I picked up Loving Frank on the recommendation of every art and architecture lover that I’m acquainted with. And I wasn’t disappointed.
“I think Mamah was a flawed person. You can certainly view what she did as a selfish act. You can also view it, however, as a form of self-preservation in terms of what she needed to do for herself.”
Loving Frank begins with a letter by Mamah Borthwick-Cheney. Her husband, Ed, was the one who wanted to build a new house - a modern house. She herself was fine with the house they lived in. Ed won that battle - and the house was to be built by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright.
From almost the moment they met, there was an undeniable attraction between them. Frank was enamored by the intelligence that he saw in Mamah and the potential that she had to do greater things. She, like all of the women Frank encountered, was drawn to his energy and his talent. And the love-affair began.
But not without snags. Frank’s wife found out of the affair - and asked him not to see her for a year - to give their marriage a chance. Frank and Mamah didn’t see each other for a year and her love for him nearly turned into resentment. Until he came to her, to whisk her away to Europe - without their partners or their children. Just the two of them for a year.
In Europe, Mamah was able to find a purpose. She, a strong feminist, started translating works for Ellen Key, the poster-child of the time for the suffrage movement. In the meantime, Frank was helping to create a book of all of his works. After some time, they moved back to Frank’s hometown to live with his family. At this time, Mamah was a divorced woman, free finally of the Mrs. Cheney label she so hated. They built a gorgeous home on a large piece of land inspired by the nature that surrounded it - meant to become the means to their self-sufficiency.
What I appreciated about this book was the details and the diary excerpts. It felt like you got closer to Mamah, whether or not you agreed with her love-affair, her abandonment of her children or her various seemingly self-serving acts (of course, the same could be said for Frank). Nancy Horan didn’t try to make either Frank or Mamah out to be saints. However, she didn’t judge their situation either.
I picked up Loving Frank on the recommendation of every art and architecture lover that I’m acquainted with. And I wasn’t disappointed.
“I think Mamah was a flawed person. You can certainly view what she did as a selfish act. You can also view it, however, as a form of self-preservation in terms of what she needed to do for herself.”