Kate and Frida by Kim Fay

When the publisher offered me an early reader’s copy of Kate & Frida, I jumped at the chance to read another book by Kim Fay. I totally enjoyed her previous epistolary novel, Love & Saffron.

This second epistolary novel begins with an inquiry from Paris to a bookshop in Seattle in the 90s. Twenty-something Frida Rodriguez is living in Paris, relishing the city’s cuisine and seeking her future as a war correspondent. She writes to a bookshop in Seattle (thinly disguised as the wonderful Elliot Bay Books where the author once worked) to inquire about a book, but receives more than just her requested book. She gets a nice letter from Kate who works at the bookstore and an aspiring author.

They begin to correspond and tell each other about their lives and things happening around them. Kate tells Frieda she seems to be experiencing terrible panic attacks. Frida tells Kate she desperately wants to become a war correspondent, but fears she won’t be good at it.

Kate is falling in love with a coworker who is a serious writer, continues to struggle with panic attacks, all while her dearly loved grandfather begins to have issues. Meanwhile Frida gets an assignment in Bosnia, where she sees and experiences the horrible atrocities firsthand, especially the destruction and civilian casualties – and is haunted by the impact on one little girl.

Frida writes up her experiences and sends them to Kate to see if they are any good. This part of the novel is the hardest to read and also to put down. Most memorable are the scenes where, even within the chaos of war, the citizens find joy in everyday life and food.

Kate and Frida give each other advice; they let each other vent. Through the most tumultuous years of their young lives—personally and globally—they sustain each other as they learn the necessity of embracing joy, especially through our darkest hours.

There are delicious descriptions of food and food writing, including one of my favorite authors — Laurie Colwin and M.F.K. Fisher’s writings – both worth looking up at your local library or bookstore.

I very much enjoyed Kate and Frida set in the 90’s, the last years before the internet changed everything. Their struggles and their growing friendship propel the story, which moves along at a nice pace.
True confession, it could must be my age, but the characters seemed very immature, and it lacked the wisdom and insights of the more mature voices from Love & Saffron.

I realized when I finished this novel, I had experienced the power and comfort of a true friendship which expanded the horizons of two young women– gave them confidence and helped them find solace, love, and, most importantly, themselves.

N.B. The author’s notes are a must read…as it gives background on the author’s own exposure with the Bosnian war, her love of food writing, and being a young bookseller.

I wrote this novel from my heart to my younger self. The self I was in my early twenties in the early 1990’s, working at the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, living on my own for the very first time in a little brick-walled loft apartment, devouring books I’s never heard of before — discovering the world.

An advanced reading copy was kindly provided by Penguin Group/Putnam via Netgalley.