Can Mamah be satisfied with being a runner up in his affections? And can she really be happy without her children who have remained with her husband, Edwin? Not only that but realizes that maybe her dreams and goals will have to come second place to Wright’s work, since his genius is so great. However, as the relationship with Wright progresses, Mamah starts to realize that her lover and hero has clay feet and that his single-mindedness is creating problems with his staff, his clients and his family. Not only that but once she is free of her family commitments, Mamah develops her skills as a writer and translator, working in conjunction with famous feminist Ellen Key to introduce Key’s revolutionary teachings to American women. Mamah is not just Frank’s lover, she is his muse and inspiration, influencing him at a key time in his development as an architect and designer. And their resulting love affair transforms their lives and those closest to them.īut don’t think that Mamah is just “the other woman” in this fascinating novel. He becomes the catalyst for Mamah’s awakening, opening her eyes to new possibilities, new ideas and new concepts. Surely there is more to life than this “domestic bliss,” being “the angel in the house,” providing a feminine hand to soothe her troubled man’s brow? Mamah’s desire for self-expression and her quest for individualism and for meaning in her life, leads her to question her choices and leads her to Frank L. What woman in the early 1900s wouldn’t be happy with all this? But attitudes are starting to change, and Mamah is no exception. Mamah (prounced May-mah) is articulate, multilingual, highly intelligent, financially secure and an imposing beauty to boot, she has it all: a loving husband, two happy children, a supportive sister, staff and a beautiful home. An ambitious blend of fact and fiction, Loving Frank tells the story of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, her love for Frank Lloyd Wright (the Frank of the title), and the consequences of that love.

Loving frank