Laura Esquivel

Laura Esquivel's fame hit the high-water mark with the 1993 release of Like Water For Chocolate. (The book and film versions of Like Water For Chocolate were released in the U.S. at the same time, and the movie went on to become one of the highest-grossing foreign films of all time.) Like Water For Chocolate was a unexpected success--an operatic love story that mixed Mexican recipes and magical realism. Esquivel's next book, The Law of Love, was even more unusual; Salon.com described it as "part New Age bodice ripper, part picture-book for adults". The Law of Love is a romantic suspense story set 23rd century Mexico City, and features a mix of Star Trek-style sci-fi and well-intentioned hippie mysticism. The book comes with illustrations and a soundtrack (a CD is attached), and has a similar gimmicky appeal to the Nick Bantock Griffin and Sabine books.



Aftertaste:
None.

Availability:
Everywhere for Like Water For Chocolate, limited for her other books.

Other Recommendations:
Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine books

The Club Dumas, by Arturo Perez-Reverte