Like water for Chocolate

Like Water For Chocolate
Laura Esquivel
Some times love is really out of our realms

Like water for chocolate is a story that has this theme, of which sometimes love is unfair and not on our side. This book shows trials of love, and life; the life and experiences of Tita. This book is written by Laura Esquivel, with passion on recipes, romances and home remedies.
Laura Esquivel (born September 30, 1950) is a Mexican author making a noted contribution to Latin-American literature. She was born the third of four children of Julio César Esquivel, a telegraph operator, and Josefa Valdés.
In her first novel Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate), released in 1989, Esquivel uses magical realism to combine the ordinary and the supernatural, similar to Isabel Allende. The novel, taking place during the revolution in early twentieth century Mexico, shows the importance of the kitchen in Esquivel's life. Esquivel believes that the kitchen is the most important part of the house and characterizes it as a source of knowledge and understanding that brings pleasure. The "title refers to a colloquial phrase used by the Spanish that means an extremity of feeling. It refers to a boiling point in terms of anger, passion and sexuality." The idea for the book came to Esquivel "while she was cooking the recipes of her mother and grandmother." Reportedly, "Esquivel used an episode from her own family to write her book. She had a great-aunt named Tita, who was forbidden to wed. Tita never did anything but care for her own mother. Soon after her mother died, so did Tita." "The book has been a tremendous international success: The No. 1 best-selling book in Mexico for three years, it's also been translated into 23 languages."
Like Water for Chocolate was developed into a film, which was released in 1993 concurrently with the book's English translation. In the United States, Like Water for Chocolate became one of the largest grossing foreign films ever released in the US. Esquivel earned the Mexican Academy of Motion Pictures award; she received eleven in all, from Ariel Awards.]
Esquivel's second novel, The Law of Love (1996) takes place in the twenty-third century Mexico City and combines romance and science fiction. Reportedly, "the theme of romantic love, particularly love thwarted, appears repeatedly throughout her novels, as does the setting in Mexico."

The story revolves on the way Tita lives her life, the way he make choices on her love Pedro. Tita, when was still a child has this bad memories of loneliness which is onky healed with the presence of her grandmother Nacha. Nacha is her only ally, which she also prefers as her mother unlike Mama Elena, and is really good in cooking. Tita was born on the kitchen, which might explain her excellence on cooking like her grandmother Nancha. But sometimes tings are not always what we expect of them, Nancha died before the wedding of Tita’s sister Rosaura.
The wedding was one of the greatest twist in the story, the wedding of Rosaura and Pedro. Pedro was Tita’s only love and life, likewise , Pedro also love Tita but because of this twist and turns of fate he turn-up to be with Rosaura, the elder sister of Tita. And this begins the story of love, trials, and sometimes miscommunication on te family pertaining to Rosaura, Pedro and Tita. The end is also quite unexpected, not like the ordinary happily ever after stories. The twist and turns led it to a fiery ending in the ranch.
Tita is the main character on the story of Like water for Chocolate of Laura Esquivel, Pedro’s true love, Mama Elena’s daughter.
Pedro is the love of Tita and the husband of Rosaura
Rosaura is the wife of Pedro and the older sister of Tita
Mama Elena is the so strict mother of Tita
Nancha is the grandmother of Tita and her only person to run to during her problems, she is also the one that teach Tita on her cooking skills
Gertrudis is also a sister of Tita
The story was this unique taste of a love story turn to every bad turn which makes it a perfect thriller for the readers. The part of the recipes, cooking, and remedies also fits the sequence of the main plot, which also gives some idea on what Tita is feeling on the story with her life and her love.
This also proves that love can also find a way, parallel to what they say in science that nature will find its way. Love, love, love is some awesome thing presented in this book of Laura Esquivel, finding some answer on the way to the peak of Tita’s own love life


Andy M Guevarra
IV-Marie Curie