- Laura Esquivel
Infobox Writer
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name = Laura Esquivel
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birthdate = birth date and age|1950|9|30
birthplace =Mexico
deathdate =
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occupation =Novelist ,screenwriter
nationality = Mexican
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genre =Magical realism
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debut_works = "Como agua para chocolate " ("Like Water for Chocolate") (1989)
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footnotes =Laura Esquivel (born
September 30 ,1950 ) is a Mexican author making a noted contribution toLatin-American literature . She was born the third of four children of Julio César Esquivel, a telegraph operator, and Josefa Valdés.Literary career
In her first novel "
Como agua para chocolate " ("Like Water for Chocolate"), released in 1989, Esquivel usesmagical realism to combine the ordinary and the supernatural, similar toIsabel Allende . The novel, taking place in nineteenth century Mexico, shows the importance of thekitchen in Esquivel's life. Esquivel believes that the kitchen is the most important part of the house and characterizes it as a source of knowledge and understanding that brings pleasure. The "title refers to a colloquial phrase used by the Spanish that means an extremity of feeling. It refers to a boiling point in terms of anger, passion and sexuality." The idea for the book came to Esquivel "while she was cooking the recipes of her mother and grandmother." Reportedly, "Esquivel used an episode from her own family to write her book. She had a great-aunt named Tita, who was forbidden to wed. Tita never did anything but care for her own mother. Soon after her mother died, so did Tita." "The book has been a tremendous international success: The No. 1 best-selling book in Mexico for three years, it's also been translated into 23 languages." ["Kitchen is home's heart for 'Chocolate' author Esquivel." Deirdre Donahue.USA TODAY LIFE; Pg. 8D. November 18, 1993.]"Like Water for Chocolate" was developed into a film, which was released in 1993 concurrently with the book's English translation. In the United States, "Like Water for Chocolate" became one of the largest grossing foreign films ever released in the US. Esquivel earned the
Mexican Academy of Motion Pictures award; she received eleven in all, fromAriel Awards .Fact|date=May 2007Esquivel's second novel, "The Law of Love" (1996) takes place in the twenty-third century
Mexico City and combines romance and science fiction. Reportedly, "the theme of romantic love, particularly love thwarted, appears repeatedly throughout her novels, as does the setting in Mexico."http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=185854 Biography of Laura Esquivel.]Her "Between the Fires" (2000) featured essays on life, love, and food. Her most recent novel, "Malinche" (2006), "explores the life of a near mythic figure in Mexican history-the woman who served as Spanish conquistador
Hernan Cortez 's interpreter and mistress" as he fought to overthrow the Aztecs. Reportedly, although "since the 15th century, Mexican history and folklore have interpreted her actions as traitorous to her people, in Esquivel's book, we learn of Malinche's rich cultural heritage." ["Best of the literary crop." Christy Karras.The Salt Lake Tribune . FEATURES; Books; Entertainment; Sunday Arts. December 9, 2006.] Esquivel characterized La Malinche as a strong woman - an ambassador and a genius.Fact|date=January 2008 The novel includes anAztec codex (byJordi Castells ) which acts as Malinche's own diary.Personal
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