Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (2007, Hardcover)

My decision to buy this book was motivated largely by my fascination with Frank Lloyd Wright and his influence on 20th Century architecture. Having grown up in Illinois, I was familiar with his prarie style homes and commercial buildings. The Dana Thomas home in Springfield, Il., was a particular favorite of mine, and for a few years I was a docent there.

Several times I also took the walking tour of Oak Park, visiting Wright's studio, homes, and the lovely synagogue he designed. Chicago, too, has a wonderful architectural tour, showcasing Louis Sullivan's designs...Wright, of course, was hired by Sullivan and was influenced by his architectural style.

It was, however, Wright's flamboyant lifestyle and charisma that attracted me to him. I had known about Maymah Cheney and her involvement with Frank, but very little has ever been written about their stormy relationship. It was almost as if Cheney became a footnote in the life of Wright.

Loving Frank is a well-written and researched novel with a thoughtful portrayal of Wright's ability to seduce a married woman into an adulterous relationship with him and early 20th century society's condemnation of their affair. Ultimately, Cheney pays dearly for that relationship with her life, some narrow-minded individuals justifying her killing as retribution for her infidelity. The saddest ending is realized by the attendant death of Maymah's children.

Nancy Horan has written a thought-provoking novel based on historical fact. There are a number of moral lessons to be gleaned from this book, and I hope the author continues further research into the complex personality of Wright. I only wish there had been some accompaning photographs of Maymah Cheney, her Oak Park home, Wright's dashing profile, the places they stayed together, etc.

I have always been fascinated by Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and outlook on using the environment and surroundings in the design of a home and building. After seeing a documentary on him, I became fascinated also by his personal history. He left his wife and 6 children just at the start of his fame to run off to Europe with a wife and mother of 2 children. It was doomed from the start but what a great love story. A tad too long maybe in the middle, before the dramatic ending, but I was riveted to learn more about this intelligent, attractive woman named Mameh Cheney and how she lived and came to love Frank Lloyd Wright. Highly recommended!

This was a book that my book club decided to read and one I would probably not have read otherwise. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anybody to read. I learned things about Frank Lloyd Wright that I would never have know if I hadn't read the book. It was informative, interesting and a good story.

I enjoyed this book because it gave me a picture of life at the turn of the century. The book told a story about a couple in love and the culture of the US at the time. The story shed light on the puritan values American had about marriage and family values in the early 1900. It also told the story of a woman ahead of her time and genius architect.

I like Frank Lloyd Wright but and this book was so fun! Good biographical fiction. Good writing! An easy read and easy to picture the times and happenings.

The story of Frank Lloyd Wright & his affair with a woman who put up with his ego, & self centered ways. He was pompous & self important. He may have been an architectural genius but as a lover, husband, friend, father he was too selfish & self involved.I liked learning the history involved & a probable senario of the truth.

A friend told me about this historical novel. I am not yet finished with it, but thus far finding it enjoyable.

It was a very good read - you wanted to know what was going to happen. A good book for a book club because it raises lots of different kinds of questions - moral, ethical and feminist.

Book club book. I liked it because it was about a part of Frank L Wrights life that few know about. Nancy Horan was brave to tackle such a project, with very few records to go on.

Fun getting a peek into Frank Lloyd Wright's life. Yes, I know it is fiction but it was a fun read.

This fictionalized account of Frank Lloyd Wright's long term love affair with a married woman covers a little known portion of Wright's life. Wright does not emerge as completely lovable, but the true protagonist of the novel is his lover. Whether the reader agrees with the choices of the main characters or not, the reader easily recognizes the turmoil, pain, and distress of the two families concerned. Without being a sentimental, tear-jerking romance, the novel is thought provoking but non judgemental. The story especially proves revealing of the mores of the early 1900's, the strictures of that society, and the prices that individuals (and their families) paid for independent lifestyles.