Marc Harshman

What a story! I had previously learned of Fallingwater in my AP US history class in high school, so I had a vague idea of what I was going to learn from this book. However, I wasn't prepared for the delightful way I'd learn it. Harshman and Smucker tell the story of Frank Lloyd Wright's crowning architectural achievement: Fallingwater. During the time of its construction, Wright had been forgotten; some even thought he was dead! Edgar Kaufmann enlisted Wright to construct a house by a waterfall in Pennsylvania. However, Wright created a plan to build the house ON the waterfall.
This book is so refreshing for me. Finally, a biography written like an artful story! The language used in this book is enchanting; the illustrations are just a bonus with the amount of detailed imagery contained in the book. The flow of the story is so captivating, jumping from cool storytelling paralleling Wright's time dreaming to fast, poetic jumps emphasizing the quick construction of the house. I love the illustrations used especially when everything is tilted sideways to capture the size of the house. I truly could not imagine a way to improve this book, I would steal this right from the library if I didn't have a conscience. Unfortunately, I'll have to settle on purchasing it on my own for my future children.… (more)