The Women was published by Viking in 2009. The novel tells the story of Frank Lloyd Wright through the four women central to his life: Olgivanna (his third wife), Miriam Noel (his second wife), Mamah Borthwick Cheney (his great love, murdered at Taliesin in 1914), and Catherine Tobin (his first wife). The narrative moves backward through time — beginning with Olgivanna and ending with Catherine — and is framed as the memoir of Tadashi Sato, a fictional Japanese apprentice at Taliesin.
The reverse chronology creates a powerful structural effect: by the time the reader reaches Catherine (the first wife, abandoned), the pattern of Wright’s behavior is fully established — his genius, his narcissism, his inability to sustain commitment, and the devastating consequences for the women who loved him. The novel is a portrait of artistic ego as a destructive force.
The Taliesin Murders
The novel’s emotional centre is Mamah Borthwick Cheney, murdered along with her two children and four others by a servant at Taliesin in August 1914. Boyle renders this event with devastating restraint — the violence erupts into a narrative that has been building toward it with the inevitability of Greek tragedy.
Collecting The Women
First edition (Viking, New York, 2009): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $20–$40
- Very good: $10–$20
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the novel told in reverse chronological order? The reverse structure allows the reader to understand Wright’s pattern of behaviour before meeting its first victim. By the time we reach Catherine Tobin (the first wife), the template of charm, exploitation, and abandonment is fully established — making her story the most devastating.