The number-one bestseller in Mexico in 1990, like Water for chocolate is a romantic, poignant tale, touched with bittersweet moments of magic and sensuality. Evocative of How to make and American Quilt in structure, Tampopo in it’s celebration of food, and Heartburn in its irony and wit, it is a lively and funny tale of family life in turn-of-thecentury Mexico. The narrator’s great-aunt Tita is the youngest of three daughters born to Mama Elena, the Tyrannical owner of the De la Garza ranch. While still in her mother’s womb, she wept so violently-as her mother chopped onions-that she caused Mama Elena to begin early labor, and Tita slipped out in the middle of the kitchen table, amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon became a way of life, and Tita grew up to be a master chef. Each chapter of the novel begins with one of Tita’s recipes and her careful instructions for preparation. In well-born Mexican families, tradition dicates that the youngest daughter not marry, but remain at home to care for her mother. Even though tita fallen in .love, Mama Elena chooses not to make an exception, and instead, arranges for Tita’s older sister to marry Tita’s young man. In order to punish Tita for her willfulness, Mama Elena forces her to bake the wedding cake. The bitter tears Tita weeps while stirring the batter provoke a remarkable reaction among the guests who eat the cake. It is then that it first becomes apparent that her culinary talents are unique. Laura Esquivel’s voice is direct, simple, and compelling. She has written a fresh and innovative novel, brining her own inimitable strengths to a classic love story. Originally a screenwriter, Laura Esquivel’s screenplay Chido One was nominated for the Ariel Award for best screenplay by the Mexican Academy of Motion Pictures. This year, the film version of like water for Chocolate swept the awards, winning eleven in all, including one for Ms. Esquivel’s screenplay. She lives in Mexico with her husband and children.