Book Review: What Would Frida Do? By Arianna Davis

Written by Safa Alhassan 

What Would Frida Do? by Arianna Davis is a self help book for women especially, about how Frida Kahlo lived authentically, despite facing immense challenges, ill health, and misfortune. If you haven’t already read Frida Kahlo: The Last Interview and Other Conversations (I’ve written a detailed review on it), I strongly suggest you start there. It gives an essential foundation, offering a glimpse into Kahlo’s extraordinary life, helping you understand what makes her such an iconic figure, one who women continue to emulate long after her passing. Her strength, confidence, creativity, and defiance have inspired countless women today, even giving rise to a massive following, especially among feminists. It’s hard to imagine a woman who doesn’t recognise her name or her significance.

This book brings Frida into a modern context, teaching women to live unapologetically, to go after what they want without fear or reservation, much like Frida herself. Everything about her life exuded strength and confidence. She never felt the need to change or follow the crowd. Her life may not have been glamorous, but given the chance, she wouldn’t choose to be anyone else. Even her approach to love was strikingly intentional. It takes immense strength to love someone like Diego Rivera, knowing full well that he would hurt her, and never love her as fiercely in return. But that didn’t stop Frida from loving him or being vulnerable.

Frida’s creativity, much like her confidence, was her own. People tried to box her in, label her work, but she wasn’t painting for anyone but herself. Through her art, she told her story to the world, unabashedly. Each brushstroke spoke volumes, and she never held back.

Each chapter of this book serves as a guide for women to embrace their authentic selves, free from the fear of judgment. It encourages us to love ourselves, flaws and all. The author uses Frida’s life as a lens through which we can learn to improve our own lives. We often measure our worth by our appearance, possessions, or the approval of others. One standout moment in the book was the mention of Frida’s famous unibrow, which she never sought to change. She fully embraced her individuality and wasn’t ashamed of it. In the same way, women should stop seeing their imperfections as faults. You are beautiful just the way you are.

More importantly, we must learn to be confident in our own skin, unapologetic for taking up space. Love yourself, love your mistakes, and just be. If you haven’t read about Frida’s life yet, I recommend doing so before diving into this book. It’ll give you the context you need to apply the lessons from her life to your own, in how you handle yourself and others.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot and I highly recommend the book What Would Frida Do? to all women and girls. The journey to self-love is an ongoing one, and no matter where you are on that path, know that we’re all navigating it, even if some are better at hiding their struggles. There’s always room for growth. So, step out there, walk into every room like you own it, laugh heartily, and live intentionally.