Like Water for Chocolate
by Aimee Ouellette
Don’t read this on an empty stomach. This novel is truly delicious. It takes place in turn-of-the-century Mexico and focuses on the life of the narrator’s great-aunt Tita. Tita’s mother is chopping onions in the kitchen when Tita, still in the womb, begins crying so violently she is born right there amid the spices. She grows to become an expert chef and has a spiritual relationship with the dishes she creates which induce strange reactions on those who dine on them. Sadly, Tita being the youngest daughter, she is condemned to care for her mother until the day she dies, forbidding her to marry the man she loves. Her strong willed and vindictive mother marries another of her daughters to Tita’s love as punishment for her emotional betrayal. Tita still has a weapon, however, which lies in her affinity for food. Like Water for Chocolate, now a major motion picture from Miramax, is an amazing blend of folklore, romance, the supernatural and culture. The novel also includes recipes for all of great-aunt Tita’s dishes, so you can’t go wrong!