November 2007
Time Out
THIS MONTH’S SELECTION OF BOOKS
Loving Frank
By Nancy Horan
Make no mistake: This book is a novel, which Webster’s dictionary defines as an “invented prose narrative.” Its subject, however, is the real-life story of legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his lover, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Most fans of architecture and Wright already know he left his wife and children to be with Cheney. She also left her husband, two children and the relatively comfortable life of a Gilded Age housewife. Morality aside, the novel explores their soul-mate relationship in the context of the period’s social movements and their own documented personalities. Ultimately though, giving insight into minds and intimate conversations almost 100 years later is a stretch: the enjoyable, page-turning, educational stretch found in most good historical novels. Readers will enjoy the tale, but should remember that the meat of the novel—although well researched—is totally contrived, and simply hung on bones of fact. (This book is a good pick for book clubs for the many compelling issues follow-up discussions are sure to cover.)
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
By Junot Diaz
Well-known for his short-story collection Drown, Diaz brings his own Dominican-American experience into play again with this novel. The highly-anticipated book was just released in September, but thanks to a standout lead character plans are already underway for a film based on the story. Readers follow Oscar, an overweight youth with a lack of friends and “loser” identity, as he struggles to define his place within his family and larger society. The themes of displacement, home and identity transcend borders and will ring true for expats of all nations, despite the Spanish-peppered lingo and urban language. <<<
