I was enthralled with Nancy Horan's Loving Frank and was glad to find TC Boyle's story of the four women in FLW's life. The story is told from the shared memories of two men- Sato Tadashi - the primary story teller - was an apprentice of Wright's in the 30's and remained friends after Tadashi became an architect on his own. Tadashi's narrative is enhanced by notes from son-in-law O'Flaherty.
The book moves backwards from Olgivanna to Miriam to Kitty and Mamah. Taliesin is at the center of much of the book - as it was with his relationships with Mamah, Miriam and Olgivanna. For all of his ego and ability as an architect - he was an insecure man who struggled to find someone he could love as wholly as he loved Mamah. That's my rationale as to why he maintained a relationship with someone as self-destructive as Miriam.