What we're trying to say is, food isn't just food in this book, nor is it in life. A la Julia Child, Laura Esquivel taps into the things that all humans have in common-the need to eat and the desire to share. We like eating, reading, watching, talking, and playing with our food. Think about it: why are shows like Top Chef, Chopped, Iron Chef, Cake Boss, and the like pulling in such large audiences? Because we, like you, love all things food. What is Like Water for Chocolate About and Why Should I Care?Īs so many TV networks today have discovered, people really, really like food. We're betting that there's something for everyone in this book, so grab a batch of chocolate mole, some tortilla chips and get ready for an adventure. It's a coming-of-age story of Tita, a culinary gifted girl who longs to escape her mother's strict rules and a wild Mexico tale where almost every page drips with savory nuggets of heartache, drama, fairy tales, and mythology. And that's just the tip of the Mexican iceberg.įolks, this is not just a book of recipes, or romances, or home remedies. Like Pedro, who marries his wannabe lover's (Tita) older sister, Rosaura, or rebel soldier Juan, who literally scoops up middle child Gertrudis and has his way with her cause, you know, she needs it. Then there's this thing with men being machismo. She's more of a dictator than a mom and her physical and psychological abuse of her youngest daughter, Tita, makes us continuously smack our heads and say que pena. Take Mama Elena, the matriarch and ranch owner. The De la Garza family is anything but a cohesive, lovey-dovey unit. (We joke.) But seriously, there are a lot of deeper issues going on beneath the surface level of yummy food and caliente romances.

We all know how much Americans love their books-turned-movies ( Pride and Prejudice, Twilight, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, etc.), and we have a feeling that the steamy sex scenes enticed a large amount of readers and viewers.īut, hey, it's not all about sex.

Like Water for Chocolate was originally published in 1990 in Spanish and was later made into a film and translated into English, becoming a national bestseller. Esquivel's biological and culinary roots are distinctly Mexican. What do you get when you mix the Mexican Revolution, feminism, family drama, adultery, secret forbidden loves, magical realism, mulatto babies, and aphrodisiac heavy recipes? A complex, steaming hunk of a novel from screenwriter-turned-novelist Laura Esquivel.

Like water for chocolate book author