Sue Dittmar found out a lot of interesting things about author Nancy Horan and her book, “Loving Frank.” Thanks, Sue, for this account of Horan’s appearance at Left Bank Books.

        On Tuesday (July 29) I had the great experience of hearing Nancy Horan read
and speak at Left Bank Books. She was here to promote Loving Frank.  It was
standing room only and even that was scarce. The crowd was mostly made up of
book club members: some who have read the book and others who were about to
read it. Now I have heard all the hoopla and read some reviews. Was this as great as everyone says it is? I have been burned in past. This time I have thankfully been proved wrong.
        Nancy Horan is a soft-spoken woman who thoroughly enjoyed her research into this unknown part of Frank Lloyd Wright’s life. She recommends everyone try researching a topic. Horan had lived in Oak Lawn, IL where Wright had made his home. She had done all the tours while living there and no one had mentioned this mysterious woman Mamah Cheney. Who was she? And what do we know about Wright?  We know of the man but do we really know who he is.
Turns out Mamah and her husband, Edwin had hired Wright to design a house for them. During that process, Wright and Mamah developed a very close relationship that eventually turned into one of the biggest scandals of 1909.
        In Horan’s first draft she had four points of view, three women and a child. She sent it off to an agent and it was rejected. So the voice of Mamah narrates the story. Horan wanted to piece together Mamah’s journey.
She wanted to understand the decisions that were made.  Horan wanted to construct Mamah from the outside as well as the inside. Mamah was a little
unusual in that she had a Master’s degree. She had a career and was married when she was thirty. Women were also beginning to agitate for the vote. It was an unsettled society that wasn’t sure where it was headed. While exploring Mamah’s life, Horan had a stroke of luck: she Googled Mamah’s name. One of the hits was an article written by a Swedish scholar. That person had found a hidden stash of letters Mamah had written. They were in the Swedish Royal library. Horan wrote and received copies of those letters.
This was Mamah’s thoughts in her own voice. What a coup.
        In her closing comments, Nancy Horan held up a copy of the book. She was very pleased about the cover. The publisher was afraid the book was going to be taken as a romance. So the picture of a Frank Lloyd Wright window was used. Horan also pointed out there is a face hidden in the window. Can you see it?

Till the next author….

Sue Dittmar