Annette S. (annette-s) reviewed on 2/27/2013 + 49 more book reviews

Frida by Barbara Mujica is a fascinating historical novel about a fascinating woman. Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter born in 1907. She was firecracker of a woman who painted with gusto despite the fact that most of her life she was in great pain. At the age of six, she contracted polio which left one leg thinner than the other. When she was a teenager, she was on a bus when a trolley collided with it and Frida was impaled by an iron handrail through her pelvis. Throughout her life she had to endure numerous operations and spent a lot of time confined to her bed. Some of her paintings depict the gruesome pain she suffered. Most famous are her self-portraits. Many times she would paint looking in a mirror from her bed. Mujica explains, "Art kept her going. Creating beauty out of pain helped her make sense of things."

Frida married Diego Rivera, a famous Mexican muralist. Their relationship was volatile as both their artistic temperaments collided. Frida was five-foot-two, but could hold her own against anyone. That included six foot tall, three-hundred pound Diego.

Frida was one hot tamale with a unibrow and a spicy disposition who didn't let anything slow her down. Bedridden at the opening of her art exhibit she insisted on being taken there on a stretcher by ambulance."The great Kahlo has done it again! She has made jaws drop and eyes pop." Even if you're not a fan of her art, Frida's story is compelling.
Her life was both tragic and triumphant. This was a good book written with captivating style.

Read other reviews at http://readinginthegarden.blogspot.com

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details