I tried not to be too harsh on Mamah Borthwick Cheney for leaving her kids for Frank Lloyd Wright because this was the whole point of her message. It was hard for me though, because my own filter on the world sees things as what is best for my children.
This historical fiction novel attempts to tell the story of Mamah - who she was and what her influences were. She was an early feminist and a translator for a Swedish feminist, Ellen Keys. The time period was between 1907 and 1914, but I had to keep forcing my mind back to that time period. The issues that women face today regarding individualism are still fresh and when you lay her story over a modern time frame, it is hard to understand her struggles. Divorce was very uncommon and if you chose that path, you would almost certainly lose your children.
She chose Frank over the kids. I found myself hoping that they would be okay and everything would work out for them - they would come to understand their mother's choice and even respect her courage when they were grown. That wasn't possible though because she and the children were murdered in 1914 by one of the workers at her home during a summer visit with her kids.
Anyone for more sorrow? Man alive - that was an unexpected ending. Did I learn anything new about the rights of the individual woman for erotic true love? Not really - I think I gained a bit of compassion for Mamah and reminded myself that every situation has a story. Don't be too quick to judge.
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