I really really wanted to like this book! Although I was aware of Frida Kahlo's personal challenges--polio as a child, permanent physiological/psychological trauma from a bus accident, a tempestuous marriage-divorce-remarriage to Diego Rivera, depression after a series of miscarriages, etc.--I always admired how one of Mexico's greatest artists was able to translate her painful life experiences into muy vibrante works of art.

And, in the translation from the original Spanish into English, something in this book was lost! In English, Frida's life story is all woodenly told, not dramatically shown as it deserves to be. The most interesting bits of text are the traditional Mexican recipes that are included at the end of each chapter--they amplify the bond between Frida's life experiences and the mystical symbolism inherent in Mesoamerican cuisine...can I offer a slice of surrealism to anyone?