Tita's Diary by Laura Esquivel
Award-winning author Laura Esquivel brings the next chapter of international bestseller Like Water for Chocolate to life with the introduction of two books to expand the story into a trilogy collection. Tita’s Diary, the second book, takes an intimate look at the life of the bestselling novel’s main character, who embodies love, passion and the communication of emotions through food in early 20th Century México.
As part of this trilogy, Tita’s Diary covers a span of 20 years not included in the original book. When Tita falls in love with Pedro, she is told that as the youngest of three sisters, she will never be allowed to marry as she’ll need to care for her mother.
READER RESPONSE SPARKS ESQUIVEL’S RETURN
Of the creative inspiration, Esquivel says, “I was very surprised at how, at every event I was invited to, young people would come up to have Like Water for Chocolate signed. Young, college, high school kids, telling me they identified with Tita. I began to wonder why. It’s not like they have a Mamá Elena who is forbidding them to live the life they want to live. And then it hit me. It’s not a castrating mother, it’s a castrating system that now limits if they can have access to an education, to a decent salary, to healthcare.”
“So, I began to write a sequel in the present day, centered on María — a descendant of the De La Garza family — who has lost her ancestor’s magic connection to food and cooking and instead has an eating disorder and lives an unhealthy life.”
“It’s Maria who finds Tita’s Diary — the only thing to survive the Ranch fire — and through it finds her way back to a different way of relating to planting, harvesting, cooking, sharing meals … and then I decided that Tita’s Diary should be its own book because it could possibly heal others as it heals María.”
Released both during Hispanic Heritage Month, and at a time when travel is limited and the restlessness of staying home is high, Tita’s Diary reminds readers of the exploration and connection available through a deeply captivating story. Adding in the magic of igniting all five senses, Tita’s Diary is the physical manifestation of the character’s dream — to share her thoughts on love, food and alchemy.
RECIPES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
The story transports readers to another time and place, bringing to light a secret and allowing readers to rediscover their own understanding of intimacy. Page after page brings forward never-before-seen real family photos, hand-pressed flower arrangements from the author’s garden and newly released recipes not included in the original novel, including Corundas, a black corn tamale; and Champurrado, a thick chocolate-flavored drink, among many more recipes.
First published 30 years ago, the international bestseller Like Water for Chocolate sold over 4.5 million copies around the world and was published in 35 languages. The book was adapted for film and debuted as a Spanish-language movie in 1992 and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It became the highest-grossing foreign-language film ever released in the United States at the time.
This year brings the addition of two books, completing the trilogy. Tita’s Diary is now available with a third generational novel to follow, The Colors of My Past.
