Loving Frank

Loving Frank is the story of the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Martha (Mamah) Borthwick Cheney. They both left their significant others and kids to go traveling abroad and try to have a life together. This happened at a time where woman had no liberties and thus most of the story is how they dealt with the repercussions of this hugely monumental choice to leave and live together openly flaunting the norm. Then they also had the troubles of Frank Wright who was bad with money and living a real life. He was rather eccentric and focused largely on his architecture.

I enjoyed reading about Mamah and how she was able to make very hard decisions that were incredibly painful but ultimately allowed her to live a happy and fulfilled life rather than just settling. I am still rather unsure how I felt about how she went about it. When she finally left her husband she did it by going abroad. Thus she was unable to see her children for the next two years. And they were very young when (3 and 7) so by the time she came back the youngest one didn't even remember her. And even when she was finally back in the states her ex husband there only allowed her to see them once a year or so. I think it's very important to live your life, but I did not like how the kids faired.

The book is interesting to read, but it doesn't keep you reading. I didn't have a problem putting it down and the writing sometimes got bogged down in descriptions and Mamah's melacholiness as she ruminated over her choices, but as long as you make yourself pick it up it's enjoyable. The ending is completely unexpected and very very sad. I actually needed to look it up to make sure it was fact because of how horribly random it is. But that's life.

I read this for a book club and I do think it's a good choice for that. There are certainly numerous different discussion points that are available from it.