Esquivel's story was like nothing I could have expected. I am glad that I read this story in a class room setting or else I never would have understood the true message within this literature. Magical food and all, I truly enjoyed the emotion, the humor, and the plot.
I know that, had I not understood the book fully, I would have hated Tita. To me she seemed flighty, fickle, and at times even stupid. All her views seemed skewed and dramatic, or so they would have. Knowing that Esquivel wanted to show not only the terrible effects of a tyrannical system and to mock American prudishness, Tita suddenly makes sense. Her powerful swings in emotion are a result of her environment. Mama Elena singling her out time and time again, setting Tita on edge. It is a wonder that Tita did not go postal. Then of course her rejection of Dr. Brown. On the surface it seemed nothing short of idiotic. Dig a little deeper and the reader understands why. Dr. Brown was a total push over. When Tita told him she had cheated on him, he forgave her like it was no big deal and supported her decision. Who would want to marry that?
To conclude, I think the biggest indicator that this is an excellent read is the emotions that the story invokes in the reader. I laughed, I got angry, I was disappointed, and I got angrier. This kind of rollercoaster is hard to keep up without just driving the reader away.
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