“Letter to the Editor: Response to Suzanne Ruta’s review of Like Water for Chocolate” – A short Letter to the Editor in which a reader responds to a negative review of Like Water for Chocolate, arguing that it participates in a feminist literary tradition.

“Sor Juana: Mexico’s Most Erotic Poet and Its Most Dangerous Nun” – Accessibly written Daily Beast article about the well-known Mexican woman writer and Esquivel forebear. As the subtitle of the article declares: “She was a woman who’d be extraordinary in any century.”

“Laura Esquivel (1950-)” – This chapter from a scholarly encyclopedia has eight pages analyzing Esquivel’s first novel from multiple angles and viewpoints. This is a good place to check if you’re looking for jumping off points, perhaps.

“Unsavoury Representations in Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate” – This short book chapter condenses the (mostly negative) criticism of Like Water for Chocolate‘s representations of women, race, class, and even the revolution. It is a devastating critique.

“Verbal and Visual Representation of Women: Como agua para chocolate/Like Water for Chocolate” – Scholarly article offering some interesting background and sources for the monthly form of the novel. This information occurs in the first two pages. The thesis of the article isn’t developed until page 3, at which point the article is likely too complicated to be of much use for your essay.

“Can What We Eat Affect How We Feel?” – A recent article about an increasing interest among some psychiatrists in prescribing not just medication to patients but nutritional changes as well. The article is from the New York Times but shouldn’t be understood as reporting on a wide-spread medical practice.

“Eat Your Veggies: Study Finds Poor Diets Linked to One in Five Deaths” – Short article from the New York Times summarizing a recent study that suggests the importance of diet to overall health is greater than previously thought.

‘If you close the border, Eagle Pass will die.’ Residents fear a Trump border closure would be destructive to South Texas towns – Recent article from the Washington Post about the the cross-border connections between Piedras Negras, Mexico and Eagle Pass, TX, especially as President Trump threatens to close down the U.S./Mexico border. Dr. Brown lives in Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras seems to be the closest town to the de la Garza ranch.

In the late 19th century photography became a popular medium and so 20th century wars are well documented. This collection is from the Yale University Library. You can see 300+ images with the link below, but I’ve also highlighted a few images that are especially resonant with the novel Like Water for Chocolate. Some of these images are particularly resonant with current debates about immigration, proving these debates are older than they are often assumed to be.