Esquivel, Laura Mexico (2)

Esquivel, Laura ( )

Esquivel was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1950, and has been a teacher, a serial author for The New York Times (Metro Section), a writer for children’s programming in public television, a book author and a screenwriter. She uses a common element among Mexican writers – magical realism, a form that uses a combination of the ordinary and the supernatural to unfold the plot and develop the characters. Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) was released in 1989 as Esquivel’s first novel. The theme of the kitchen is prevalent in both Esquivel’s life and in the book. The story is divided into twelve segments, one for each month of the year. A recipe opens each chapter, and each chapter ties into the protagonist’s life.

“Remembering her early cooking experiences & the aromas of foods cooked in her grandmother's house, Esquivel said, ‘"I watch cooking change the cook…as it transforms the food."’ The book was hugely popular in Mexico & translated into 23 languages. It was adapted for the screen & released in It “became one of the largest grossing foreign films ever released” in America. Mexican settings, themes of love, wonder, & magic appear also in another book called Malinche, about a historical/folkloric figure, in Cortez’s interpreter, that has been demonized by the Mexican people. Esquivel paints Malinche as a “strong woman, an ambassador, & a genius.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor said,"…everything…is swathed in imagery & deep spiritual significance." In the hands of Esquivel, characters & history fuse, allowing the reader to be swept into her magical story telling.

Esquivel, Laura – Works Cited: 1. a_Esquivel&oldid= a_Esquivel&oldid= (Info) 2. "Laura Esquivel." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, Gale Biography In Context. Web. 15 Apr (Info & Picture)