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Frida's Cook
This colorful, emotive historical debut whisks us to the home of Frida Kahlo, where food, art, and love weave together an unforgettable story of friendship and loyalty, with a bright Coyoacán as a vivid background.
A hidden painting. A buried past. A legacy waiting to be uncovered.
Mexico City, 1939: Young and determined Nayeli Cruz flees from her Oaxaca home to arrive in Mexico City with neither friends nor prospects. Alone and armed only with her sharp wit and extraordinary talent in the kitchen, she finds herself in front of La Caza Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo. As she begins work as the artist's cook, Nayeli is pulled into Frida's world of pain, passion, and defiance. But it isn't long before amid the vibrant tapestry of flavors, scents, and colors, the two women form a deep bond--one that will shape the course of Nayeli's life and leave behind a secret buried in art.
Buenos Aires, Present Paloma, Nayeli's granddaughter, stumbles upon a mysterious painting depicting her grandmother as a young woman. The artist's identity is unknown, but the artwork's existence threatens to unravel long-held family secrets. As Paloma delves into her grandmother's past, she uncovers a tale of passion, betrayal, and resilience that challenges everything she thought she knew about the one woman who raised her.
A lyrical and timeless portrait of the human side of one of the world's most famous painters, Frida's Cook celebrates the power of female friendship, art, and love.
A hidden painting. A buried past. A legacy waiting to be uncovered.
Mexico City, 1939: Young and determined Nayeli Cruz flees from her Oaxaca home to arrive in Mexico City with neither friends nor prospects. Alone and armed only with her sharp wit and extraordinary talent in the kitchen, she finds herself in front of La Caza Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo. As she begins work as the artist's cook, Nayeli is pulled into Frida's world of pain, passion, and defiance. But it isn't long before amid the vibrant tapestry of flavors, scents, and colors, the two women form a deep bond--one that will shape the course of Nayeli's life and leave behind a secret buried in art.
Buenos Aires, Present Paloma, Nayeli's granddaughter, stumbles upon a mysterious painting depicting her grandmother as a young woman. The artist's identity is unknown, but the artwork's existence threatens to unravel long-held family secrets. As Paloma delves into her grandmother's past, she uncovers a tale of passion, betrayal, and resilience that challenges everything she thought she knew about the one woman who raised her.
A lyrical and timeless portrait of the human side of one of the world's most famous painters, Frida's Cook celebrates the power of female friendship, art, and love.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published March 10, 2026
About the author
Florencia Etcheves
22 books220 followersEscritora y periodista, Florencia Etcheves ha trabajado como especialista policial de los informativos de El Trece, siendo ganadora de premios como el de Mejor Labor Periodística Femenina en los Premios Martín Fierro. Hizo sus estudios secundarios en el Instituto de Lenguas Vivas y egresó en el año 1989. Al siguiente año ingresó a TEA para estudiar periodismo y se recibió en el año 1993.
En 2012, la editorial Planeta publicó la primera novela policial de Florencia Etcheves, titulada La virgen en tus ojos. A partir del éxito comercial y de crítica de su primera ficción, en 2014 se publicó su segunda novela La hija del campeón.
En 2012, la editorial Planeta publicó la primera novela policial de Florencia Etcheves, titulada La virgen en tus ojos. A partir del éxito comercial y de crítica de su primera ficción, en 2014 se publicó su segunda novela La hija del campeón.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 26, 2026
Frida’s Cook
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! I chose Frida’s Cook, a historical novel by Florencia Etcheves.
I REALLY wanted to give this book at least 4 stars, but I’m going to go with a 3.5. Don’t let it discourage you from reading, I am glad that I did because I felt the need to deep dive a bit more into Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. I’ll probably be on a watch list soon.
What I loved about this book: Like any good Mexican tale, it is alive with color, with festivity, even smells. It’s like I’ve been transported to a country that I personally love to visit, for the very reasons I love it: the sights, the flavors, the love. Etcheves takes us to 1939 Oaxaca, where Nayeli Cruz, our protagonist, flees her family to avoid an arranged marriage. She travels with a group of random women, and finally makes it to Mexico City where she meets, befriends and moves in with Frida, serving as her personal cook. Their bond is delightful in the chapters where we explore Nayeli’s past life, one she didn’t speak of to her daughter or granddaughter, Paloma, who was raised by Nayeli.
What we learn through the book is how close Nayeli was to Frida, and how important each woman was to the other. And how Diego Rivera, Frida’s husband, fit into their demise.
The only reason we learn the connection is through a painting that is left of Nayeli. And while the painting is the key to the beautifully written past, it’s what I consider the ruin of the 2018-19 events that make up the other 50% of this book.
The chapters jump from past to present, as Paloma’s need for a booty call leads to an unlikely turn of events: boyfriend happens to be an artist born into a family of art thieves/forgeries who also happens to tell someone about this original painting he suspects is a Rivera/Kahlo work, who also ends up stealing the painting from her, only to also give it back and risk his own life to save the original. It’s so unnecessary and far-fetched.
I expected there to be more play on Frida’s known love affairs with women to have surfaced. Instead, the heartbreaking end to their friendship abruptly stops the flow of the book, as we learn how and why Nayeli and Eva became such friends. Thrown in for good measure is a non-developed but reportedly extremely close relationship between Eva and Paloma’s mother. It’s quite dysfunctional and hard to grasp.
And in the end, we still don’t really know what happens to the painting, the forgers, and other random art-world people thrown into the mix. I wanted more, and I guess I’ll be making the rest up in my head.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! I chose Frida’s Cook, a historical novel by Florencia Etcheves.
I REALLY wanted to give this book at least 4 stars, but I’m going to go with a 3.5. Don’t let it discourage you from reading, I am glad that I did because I felt the need to deep dive a bit more into Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. I’ll probably be on a watch list soon.
What I loved about this book: Like any good Mexican tale, it is alive with color, with festivity, even smells. It’s like I’ve been transported to a country that I personally love to visit, for the very reasons I love it: the sights, the flavors, the love. Etcheves takes us to 1939 Oaxaca, where Nayeli Cruz, our protagonist, flees her family to avoid an arranged marriage. She travels with a group of random women, and finally makes it to Mexico City where she meets, befriends and moves in with Frida, serving as her personal cook. Their bond is delightful in the chapters where we explore Nayeli’s past life, one she didn’t speak of to her daughter or granddaughter, Paloma, who was raised by Nayeli.
What we learn through the book is how close Nayeli was to Frida, and how important each woman was to the other. And how Diego Rivera, Frida’s husband, fit into their demise.
The only reason we learn the connection is through a painting that is left of Nayeli. And while the painting is the key to the beautifully written past, it’s what I consider the ruin of the 2018-19 events that make up the other 50% of this book.
The chapters jump from past to present, as Paloma’s need for a booty call leads to an unlikely turn of events: boyfriend happens to be an artist born into a family of art thieves/forgeries who also happens to tell someone about this original painting he suspects is a Rivera/Kahlo work, who also ends up stealing the painting from her, only to also give it back and risk his own life to save the original. It’s so unnecessary and far-fetched.
I expected there to be more play on Frida’s known love affairs with women to have surfaced. Instead, the heartbreaking end to their friendship abruptly stops the flow of the book, as we learn how and why Nayeli and Eva became such friends. Thrown in for good measure is a non-developed but reportedly extremely close relationship between Eva and Paloma’s mother. It’s quite dysfunctional and hard to grasp.
And in the end, we still don’t really know what happens to the painting, the forgers, and other random art-world people thrown into the mix. I wanted more, and I guess I’ll be making the rest up in my head.
June 20, 2026
Florencia Etcheves' Frida's Cook is a definite five-star, dual-timeline read that details the relationship between Frida Kahlo and her cook, Nayeli Cruz, while also following Frida's modern-day descendant, Paloma, as she uncovers secrets about a mysterious painting. The three narrators—Cynthia Farrell, Aida Reluzco, and André Santana—add incredible depth and clarity to the audiobook.
Etcheves and the narrator team kept me completely invested in how Frida and Nayeli's relationship developed over the years, even as Paloma's search for the truth behind the painting deepened. Etcheves weaves these storylines together with immense skill, seamlessly incorporating themes of female relationships, romance, art, food, and how family history shapes future generations—alongside, of course, Frida's tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera.
Though I came to this book with only a basic knowledge of Frida Kahlo, I left with an enriched understanding of her art, her passion, and, perhaps more importantly, her heart. Highly recommend!
I express my gratitude Atria Books, Florencia Etcheves and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to review Frida's Cook.
Etcheves and the narrator team kept me completely invested in how Frida and Nayeli's relationship developed over the years, even as Paloma's search for the truth behind the painting deepened. Etcheves weaves these storylines together with immense skill, seamlessly incorporating themes of female relationships, romance, art, food, and how family history shapes future generations—alongside, of course, Frida's tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera.
Though I came to this book with only a basic knowledge of Frida Kahlo, I left with an enriched understanding of her art, her passion, and, perhaps more importantly, her heart. Highly recommend!
I express my gratitude Atria Books, Florencia Etcheves and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to review Frida's Cook.
May 30, 2026
This story was so beautifully written and descriptive of the culture of Mexico imagining the life of Frida and Diego thru the eyes of the young girl who lived with her and became her companion and cook. The story has several stories within, two painter brothers, the cooks daughter and granddaughter conflict, and the painting that is found and the discovery of how it ended up with the cook! Absolutely loved the story and Florencia Etcheues is an author I wi follow and continue reading. The passion, lovers, and pain Frida endured is written beautifully.
October 10, 2026
This was a Did Not Finish for me. The tale is told in a couple of time lines (1939 and present day). It has a lot going on but at 40% in it was still focused on characters other than Frida Kahalo which, let's face it, was what let me to pick up the book. The story felt disjointed and erratic. ⭐️
#EmptyNestReader #FridasCook #FlorenciaEtcheves #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #fiction #historicalfiction
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#EmptyNestReader #FridasCook #FlorenciaEtcheves #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #fiction #historicalfiction
#OctoberReads #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #ebooks #librarybooks #vestaviahillslibrary
July 22, 2026
I'd love to give this a 3.5 LOVED learning more about Frida what a fascinating woman, and enjoyed the three different storylines. That being said, this wasn't gripping in the way where I couldn't put it down. Well written and interesting, not a must read for me.
October 1, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ loved it
October 13, 2026
An interesting historical novel about Frida Kahlo from her fictional cook’s point of view. I enjoyed reading about her life in Mexico.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews