Five stars! Totally loved it! Like Water for Chocolate has lingered on my TBR list for a zillion years. Finally I got around to reading it. My only regret is that I overlooked this beautifully written book for so long.
It has all the ingredients of a great story: lots of chocolate, a little bit of magic, a couple of star-crossed lovers, and a mother so domineering she will no doubt make yours seem like Jennifer Garner (who seems to be the nicest person on the planet).
Published in 1989, but set in the early 1900s during the Mexican Revolutionary War, the story centers on the sizzling hot romance between Tita and Pedro. Yet it’s sooo much more than a juicy love story. It’s about strong women fighting for independence, torn between tradition and desire. It’s about family and food and thwarted love, tyranny and oppression. The Mexican Revolutionary War works perfectly as a backdrop because it echoes the smaller scale revolution the female characters fight to overthrow the old ways and traditions that hold them back.
The story has heartbreak and tragedy (and one particularly upsetting and somewhat graphic part) but there’s also a lot of joy and laughter and jaw-dropping turns and twists.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll get hungry. Each of the twelve chapters opens with a delectable recipe (Chabela Wedding Cake, Quail with Rose Sauce…) that connects to the characters and events of the story.
Best of all, I LOVED the audio version. I’m sure reading the printed version is a great experience too, but listening was kinda sorta magical. Kate Reading’s delivery really immerses you in the story.
If you haven’t read this amazing classic, no worries. Just click this link and snatch up your copy today!
