69 pages • 2 hours read
Like Water for Chocolate
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Book Brief
256
Novel • Fiction
Mexico • 1910s
1989
Adult
18+ years
1030L
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.
Romantic
Emotional
Bittersweet
Fantastical
Nostalgic
Reviews & Readership
377,876 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
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 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.
377,876 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
256
Novel • Fiction
Mexico • 1910s
1989
Adult
18+ years
1030L
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