This book is
beautifully written and “unputdownable”. I wasn’t sure that I would like it
when I first started reading, but I’m so glad that I persevered (after the 2nd
chapter I was completely immersed in the book).
As the story
unfolds, a host of events multiply and allow fate to intervene. I had a lot of
fun reading this novel. I love Esquivel’s imagery and style, which are
strikingly raw and simple, but also the mysterious and magical setting for the story
and I found every character to be amazing.
Like Water
for Chocolate (original title: Como Agua para Chocolate) was a number one
bestseller in Mexico and has since been translated into more than 30 languages.
The book
follows the story of Tita de la Garza, the youngest of three daughters of the
tyrannical and generally unpleasant widow, Mama Elena. According to Mexican
tradition, Tita’s lot in life, as the youngest daughter in the family, is to
remain unmarried and care for Mama Elena until the latter dies.
Tita falls
in love with her neighbour Pedro at the age of 15 and when Pedro asks Mama
Elena for Tita’s hand in marriage, Mama Elena refuses because of an inhuman
tradition. Instead, she suggests that Pedro marries Rosaura, Tita’s elder
sister. He accepts this only in order to be close to Tita, whom he loves
enormously.
From then
on, as a passionate and skilled cook, Tita uses her cooking talent to secretly
express her heartache and desire for Pedro through the food she prepares. This
is the only way she can express herself because Mama Elena is watching them
closely to see that they behave... Later on, we learn that Mama Elena had her
own hard struggle in life and a lot of frustration too.
All of the
chapters begin with recipes that are woven throughout the narrative to create a
metaphor for Tita’s emotions. These recipes are methodically detailed. This
allows us to dive into the beauty of ancient Mexican cuisine.
This is
definitely a marvellous novel that I urge you to discover.