Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

I picked this book up for free at an orchard, they have a great book give away system. I had heard of this before but never read it. It was okay, but I'm sure I'll never read it again. The story is about 3 sisters and their mom on a ranch is Mexico. The older sister marries the younger one's love, and the story takes off. The problem is, I didn't connect with any of these characters. They story would have grim reality, then fantasy in the next paragraph. I can undrestand why some people would enjoy this, but it's not my thing. I think this is one of those books that you'll love or hate. If you love this book, you'll be shaking your head and wondering what's wrong with me that I didn't like it. If you didn't care for it, you'll understand what I'm saying. Whatever, to each their own.

The story of Elena De la Garza, the youngest daughter of Tita, is told by Tita's granddaughter. Cultural tradition is that as the youngest daughter, Tita must remain with her mother, unmarried, to care for her until she dies.
Tita's sister Gertrudis marries Tita's love Pedro. Rosaura has love fire and goes off to the Revolution to couple with a general in the army and becomes an officer of the army herself. This book is fantasy, magic, emotion, reality of love, told in chapters headed by ancient Mexican recipes handed down for generations. Ingeniously constructed, with a beautiful voice, this book is a classic.

Laura Esquival's story is about love and passion intertwined with food and family. Each chapter begins with a delicious recipe that connects to the story about Tita, the heroine of the book.

You fall in love with the characters, laugh and smile when good things happen, and cry when unfortunate events tear at their hearts. It's a page turner that fires up the imagination. It will make you hungry and want to fall in love at the same time.

This is one of my favorite books. I read it at least once a year.

This book is a story is about a young girl that is in love with this young man. When he wants to go ask her hand in marriage Mama Elena says "No." The reason that she says no is because of a stupid tradition. That says that the youngest girl in the De la Garza family can not get married. They have to take care of there mother till she dies.

So when the young man finds out he thinks that the closes why he can get to Tita is by marring her sister. So he does. When Tita finds out she is heart broken. Not only did she just lose the man that she loved; now she had to live seeing him with her sister. What really hurt her most was that she had to make the wedding cake. When she was making some of her tears got into the ingredients and that mad the cake go bad. While her sister was eating it she felt sick and throw-up all over her white dress. Rosaura said that Tita was trying to ruin her wedding night by making her sick.

I really like the way that the author describes everything so good. Like when Tita was making dinner, how she was cutting the chilies, and the sound that the meat made when it touched the hot pan. I also liked the setting that the author had. Some thing that I would change would be the ending. But I had to read it two times to get it. But this is a really good book so you should read it if you like soap-opera romance,and fairy- tale.

Like Water for Chocolate is a wonderful, magical even mystical ride. A lyrical tale of food, love, romance and heartbreak. Highly recommended.
Laura Esquivel writes a beautiful story that will stay with you for years.