69 pages 2 hours read

Laura Esquivel

Like Water for Chocolate

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1989

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is about Tita De la Garza's quest to regain her lost love while fighting cultural and familial forces set on traditional femininity in a northern Mexican village during the Mexican Revolution. Enhanced by magical realism, each of the novel's twelve chapters features a family recipe that relates to the plot or themes of the story.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate blends magical realism with Mexican culture, creating an enchanting tale of love and tradition. Critics praise its vivid imagery and emotional depth, but some note a perceived lack of character development. Overall, the novel is celebrated for its innovative structure and evocative, culinary-linked storytelling.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Like Water for Chocolate?

Readers who enjoy Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel typically appreciate magical realism, historical romance, and rich cultural settings. Fans of Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits or Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude will likely find this novel captivating.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Lexile Level

1030L

Book Details

Genre

Magical Realism

Latin American Literature

Historical Fiction

Topics

Food

Gender / Feminism

Love / Sexuality

Themes

Emotions/Behavior: Love

Identity: Femininity

Identity: Sexuality