What Would Frida Do?

Revered as much for her independent spirit as she is for her art, Frida Kahlo stands today as a brazen symbol of female agency and daring creativity. She was a woman ahead of her time, who even decades after her passing has inspired Oscar-winning films, Snapchat filters, endless T-shirts and merchandise and even Barbies. Her paintings have earned her legions of admirers who fill her exhibitions and span the globe. But perhaps her greatest work of art was her own life.

What Would Frida Do? celebrates the feminist icon's signature style, her outspoken politics, her boldness in love and art-even in the face of hardship, pain, and heartbreak. We see her tumultuous and passionate marriage with her husband, the famous muralist Diego Rivera, and her flings with Leon Trotsky and Josephine Baker. We regard her larger than life persona, as a petite woman who drank heavily, sang lustily, painted provocatively, and even to the very end insisted on theatrical gestures-as when she insisted on being carried in on her deathbed so as not to miss her final solo exhibition. Each chapter shares intimate stories, lively quotes, and personal details about Frida's life, showing today's reader how Frida faced down obstacles by unapologetically embracing her own ideals. Through reflections on this singular life, we can call upon on Frida's boldness to guide us on our own paths.

In this charming and irresistible read, culture writer Arianna Davis conjures Frida's brave spirit, encouraging women to persevere when they are suffering, to claim their agency, to create fearlessly, and to stand by their own truths.