Mexico City, Winter 2023 ~ Read

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver is the perfect book to read ahead of a visit to CDMX, especially if one is a fan of Frida Kahlo. The book describes Frida’s and Diego Riviera’s house in Coyoacan neighborhood in great detail. Many other sites throughout Mexico City show up in the story as well, such as Riviera’s famous murals in the municipal and state buildings, and a unique outdoor floating garden Xochimilco, where Frida flirts with Trotsky among colorful boats and food vendors. On my short trip to CDMX I was only able to visit Frida’s museum, but it was perfect. Both the indoor spaces and the ambiance of the neighborhood were captured precisely by Kingsolver, and a recently opened exhibit of Frida’s wardrobe and personal belongings, including her polio implements, helped fill out the scenes in the book.