Author T.C. Boyle found the tranquility he needed to write his latest book, "The Women," in the peaceful Montecito, California, setting of his 1909 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home. "This is organic architecture," he said. "It blends in with the environment, everywhere you look, you're looking outdoors. Nature is the painting."

While Boyle's historic home provides serenity, the characters that emerge in "The Women" (Viking) vividly portray the tempest that was architect Wright's personal life.