Frida's Cook by Florencia Etcheves Review

 Title: Frida’s Cook

Author, Translator: Florencia Etcheves, Beth Fowler

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I was given an advanced reader’s copy of this book through the publisher, Atria Books and Atria/Primero Sueno Press, and Netgalley–my thanks to both!

I have always been fascinated by fine art from childhood, and I discovered Frida Kahlo’s work in my young adulthood. She is one of my favorite artists, and I have been long curious about her rich, nuanced life. So when Frida’s Cook went live on Netgalley, I requested a copy and was approved. I finished it, and it has become one of my favorite books of 2026. This book was rich with detail, with the characters jumping off of the page. I loved it; it was so colorful and the characters beautifully rendered. This book is a work of fiction, but the characters felt so real and nuanced. I felt like I really knew Frida through Nayeli, her cook. This was a beautiful story of secrets, friendship, danger and family, both by blood and by choice. I adored it. This book reminded me of how much I love historical fiction; it is one of my favorite genres when done well.

In Mexico, 1939, Nayeli Cruz flees her home in Oaxaca, friendless and without any prospects. Armed with extraordinary skill in the kitchen, she finds herself at La Casa Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo. When she begins to work as the artist’s cook, she is soon drawn into Kahlo’s world of color, drama, and passion. The two women form a deep bond of friendship, which culminates into a secret painting. In the present day, her granddaughter, Paloma, stumbles upon the painting of her grandmother as a young woman. As Paloma searches for answers about her grandmother, she discovers a tale of passion, betrayal, and dark secrets that make her wonder if she ever knew her grandmother at all…

This book was absolutely magical, with a compelling mystery at its heart. I was immediately entranced by the prose, and the way the narrative went back and forth between characters and time periods. Frida Kahlo was the draw for this book initially, but Nayeli and Paloma made me stay. The pacing was smooth, and I was constantly turning pages, wondering how it would turn out. Frida’s Cook made me feel all the range of emotions, and by the end, I was both glad and sad. I loved the way that Frida’s life was interwoven with Nayeli and Paloma’s family secrets. Each character was bold and real, especially Frida and Diego. Their fraught, tumultuous relationship was on full display, and their tangled history made a lot of sense. But Nayeli and Paloma were the true stars of the book: they grounded the book even amidst the chaos. The elements of danger were very real, and the ending was bittersweet. The bottom line: Beautifully written, emotional and heartfelt, I loved Frida’s Cook!