by Laura Esquivel (Author), SalehAlmani (Translator)
A highly original novel by one of Mexico's most important storytellers, Como agua para chocolate is written in the style of the serialized novels so popular in the nineteenth century. Each chapter starts with a traditional northern Mexican recipe. In effect, cooking is the exclusive means of expression open to the female protagonist, who doesn't entirely conform to the limited role that both society and her family have given her. Como agua para chocolate is a fresco of rural Mexican society between 1910 and 1933, and a portrayal of the deep-rooted traditions that the novel's heroine confronts. Tita, the youngest child of a charismatic woman, is trapped in a destiny predetermined at birth: family tradition dictates that the youngest daughter must renounce marriage and devote herself to the care of her mother. Tita, however, is passionately in love with Pedro, her eldest sister's husband. She is also pursued by John Brown, an American doctor who offers her an austere and serene form of love. Twenty years later, Tita and Pedro finally come together through fire and death.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Publisher: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing
Published: 06 Nov 2014
ISBN 10: 9992195541
ISBN 13: 9789992195543
Book Overview: Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon for its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit.