Frida Kahlo, one of the most dynamic figures of 20th-century art, has very nearly become a saint, so legendary is her tumultuous and tragic life. While there is no dearth of books about Kahlo and her work, none are as poignantly revealing as this diary, which includes her own words and pictures. We find the genesis of some of her most famous paintings, her love letters, and sketches of people she knew such as her husband, the Mexican mural painter Diego Rivera, and numerous studies for self-portraits. The most fascinating part of the book is the facsimile diary, in its exact size, reproduced here for the first time, with color illustrations. It is accompanied by an English translation with explanatory commentaries.