Loving Frank

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Mamah struggles with balancing her own fulfillment against her responsibilities as a mother, especially when she leaves her children to go to Europe with Frank. Have you ever faced a situation where your personal growth conflicted with your obligations to others? What helped you navigate this challenge?

2. Frank’s references his family motto, “Truth against the world” (125), when facing public criticism about his relationship with Mamah. When have you had to stand by your own truth despite facing significant opposition? What gave you the strength to do so?

3. Mamah finds fulfillment in translating Ellen Key’s writing, discovering that it allows her to express herself while bringing important ideas to new audiences. What creative or intellectual pursuits have helped you discover or express your authentic self?

4. The novel explores how public judgment affects private relationships, particularly when newspapers publish stories about Mamah and Frank’s affair. How have you navigated between societal expectations and your own desires in your personal relationships?

5. When Mamah discovers Frank’s financial irresponsibility and hidden debts at Taliesin, she must decide whether this flaw outweighs the love and inspiration he brings to her life. How have you determined what flaws you can accept in important relationships?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Loving Frank is set during the early Woman Movement, when ideas about women’s roles were evolving through organizations like the Nineteenth Century Woman’s Club. How does Mamah’s story reflect the broader struggles of women during this period? What aspects of these struggles persist today?

2. Throughout the novel, newspapers serve as powerful forces that shape the characters’ lives, especially after they publicize Frank and Mamah’s affair. How does this portrayal of media scrutiny compare to today’s celebrity culture and social media judgment?

3. Ellen Key’s philosophy supports personal freedom while also valuing motherhood as women’s highest calling—ideas that create tension for Mamah as she translates Key’s work. How have perspectives on balancing motherhood and personal fulfillment evolved since Mamah’s time?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The novel is told primarily from Mamah’s perspective until her death, when it shifts to Frank’s viewpoint. How does this narrative structure affect your understanding of their relationship and the tragedy at Taliesin?

2. Nature appears as a significant motif throughout the novel, particularly in Frank’s architectural philosophy and in the descriptions of Taliesin. How does Horan use natural imagery to develop themes and character relationships?

3. Translation serves as both Mamah’s profession and a metaphor in the novel. How does this symbol illuminate her character development and the broader themes about interpreting one’s life and choices?

4. Horan recreates Mamah’s life largely through historical research, as noted in her Afterword. How does knowing that this novel is based on real events affect your reading experience? Which scenes felt most authentically drawn from history?

5. The novel ends with Frank incorporating broken artifacts from the fire into the foundation of the rebuilt Taliesin. What does this symbolize about memory, loss, and artistic creation?

6. How does Horan develop Frank and Mamah’s commitment to honesty throughout the novel, even as they participate in an affair that begins with deception? What does the story suggest about the complexity of living truthfully?