Which Mexican author wrote 'Like Water for Chocolate'?

Laura Esquivel wrote the Mexican novel *Like Water for Chocolate*.

Originally published in Spanish as *Como agua para chocolate* in 1989, the novel follows Tita de la Garza, a young woman whose family tradition forbids the youngest daughter from marrying because she must care for her mother. Tita expresses emotions through cooking, and the food she prepares seems to transmit her feelings to everyone who eats it.

The book combines romance, family drama, recipes, home remedies, and magical realism. Its monthly-installment structure gives each chapter the feel of a recipe book as well as a serialized love story. The title refers to water heated for making hot chocolate, a phrase suggesting intense emotion and barely contained passion.

Esquivel was also a screenwriter, and the novel became a successful 1992 film. Readers sometimes confuse the novel with the film because both share the same title, but Esquivel wrote the original book and co-wrote the screenplay. The story later expanded through sequels and television adaptations.