Book review: Loving Frank

Welcome to the first edition of mini-reviews. Books, TV shows and movies – look for my thoughts here.

Loving Frank, Nancy Horan

I finished this book in the time it took me to get from Boston to LAX, with time to spare – it’s that kind of page turner. Easily digestable, with a middle section to really get the feminist in you thinking. And by you, I mean me.

• Can you consider yourself a feminist if your Power to the Woman awakening comes out of a relationship with a man?
• When it comes to family, love and your own self-worth, where does the line between empowering and selfish fall?
• Could I have forgiven a parent who was totally absent by his/her own volition for 2+ years of my childhood?

I found it concisely written, though towards the end overwhelmed by dialogue. I also felt like the end – a shocker if I’ve ever read one – was almost too abrupt. I wasn’t even paying attention to Julian – and was actually wondering why he had even been introduced – when race dynamics sort of started coming up and then all of a sudden… (no spoilers here). While I get that there’s a parallel to the shocking impact of the event with its out-of-nowhere introduction into the storyline, I think that those characters could have been introduced more casually a bit sooner.

I’m curious about the real story here, and can definitely see myself reading up more on Frank Lloyd Wright soon. Overall, it’s an intelligent yet easy read for anyone interested in good ol’ story telling about a man and a woman, American history and/or the women’s movement.