Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies
by Laura Esquivel

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Book Summary Information

• ISBN13: 9780385420174
• Condition: New
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Book Reviews of Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

Book Review: The Power of Love...and Food
Summary: 5 Stars

Brokenhearted, Tita proceeds to channel all of her passion and energy into her cooking instead. Thinking of Pedro and knowing he will be her one and only love, Tita weeps into Pedro's and Rosaura's wedding cake as she prepares the batter. This has very unusual consequences...when the guests eat the cake, they all beging to weep, overcome with nostalgia and sadness at the thought of their first love. Even the hard-hearted Mama Elena is not unaffected.

The book is narrated by Tita's grand-niece (who seems to be Esquivel, herself), who has inherited Tita's beautiful, old book of handwritten recipes and her extraordinary talent for cooking. While some of the recipes that Tita prepares are contained in "Like Water for Chocolate," I wouldn't attempt them. Without Tita's magic, they simply don't work, but they are very interesting. The thrust of this story, however, remains on Tita and her love for Pedro. And on Tita's cooking.

Unable to love Pedro outwardly, Tita continues to channel all of her love into her cooking. When Pedro gives her a dozen roses as a sign of his continuing love for her, Tita is ordered to throw them away. Rather than do that, however, she prepares quail with rose petal sauce. The dish turns out to be a powerful aphrodisiac; the effects on Tita's sister, Gertrudis, are extraordinary and actually change the entire course of her life.

Legends abound in this book and one of the most powerful says that if anyone experiences the height of emotion and love, a door to eternity will open, for just a second, allowing them to walk through. This legend will come to have the most powerful influence of all.

Since this book seems to be made up old family stories, traditions and legends, it has a nostalgic feel to it as well as being a powerful love story. And, despite this being a love story, the emphasis is on the six women characters; men hover at the periphery of this book and their personalities are not highly developed.

Of course, things do not proceed smoothly for Pedro and Rosaura, but then they do not proceed smoothly for Pedro and Tita, either. Or do they? Given the book's ending, I found it difficult to decide. But the book did end in a very fitting manner and one that was very satisfying.

The title of the book is particularly apt. In Mexico, hot chocolate is very strong and is made with water rather than with milk. The water is brought to a boil and then the chocolate is spooned into it (there is one scene in the book in which hot chocolate is made). A person in the throes of romantic excitement is said to be in a state "like water for chocolate."

In "Like Water for Chocolate," almost everyone seems to be in this heightened state, at least part of the time. And the catalyst is always the passionate Tita, who pours her life and herself into her cooking, creating food so filled with magic that it can make people laugh or cry or literally catch fire with desire.

"Like Water for Chocolate" inspired the appearance of many "food oriented" books, but none of them even came close to catching the magic and the passion of this one. This is an entertaining book and one that is quite unique. It should be very enjoyable reading for anyone.

Summary of Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

Gastronomy Books

• Books > Subjects > Cookbooks, Food & Wine
• Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical
• Women's Fiction > Domestic Life
• Romance