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BOOKS I READ: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (1989) translation by Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen (1992). Stories of love and desire for the three De la Garza daughters, Gertrudis, Rosaura, and Tita. They live under the careful watch of their domineering Mama Elena. As the youngest, Tita has been designated to take care of her mother for life.
Tita’s birth in the kitchen and her apprenticeship with Nacha, the cook, makes her the master of the cocina. Her preparations of various recipes serve as the book’s spine. Each chapter evolves from a meal that is being prepared for some holiday or event. When one event happens to be Rosaura’s wedding with Tita’s love, Pedro, strange things begin to occur.
Como agua para chocolate was the first novel for Mexican writer Laura Esquivel. She makes repeated use of fantastical events, such as flooding from a cry or aphrodisiacal meals that can affect a few or scores of guests. Their ranch, somewhere near the border, is besieged by revolutionaries and apparitions alike.
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