The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan [Hardcover]

Marisol (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 14, 2003

According to a Latin American proverb, in order for a woman to discover her power over men, she must learn to be a lady in the living room, a chef in the kitchen, and a courtesan in the bedroom. After perfecting the grace and elegance of each, a woman will ultimately understand her own potential in life, and the command she has over everyone around her, including herself.

When Pilar is left her grandmother's legacy books, she not only discovers what she is missing in her own life but also discovers the secret life her grandmother carried with her to her grave.

Bound in black silk, the three books teach the sacred beauty rituals that South American women have followed for centuries, the rules of social etiquette every young woman must master, and delicious recipes to seduce men -- recipes that can teach the strong-willed Pilar how to be the perfect lady, wife, and lover.

As Pilar reads through the diaries, she slowly begins to discover the importance of tradition and how to incorporate the secrets into her life as an independent, professional woman. And finally, perhaps -- with her grandmother's wise words floating in her mind -- she will find the courage to follow her heart, wherever it may lead.

Weaving together the story of a modern woman with that of a grandmother's time-honored traditions, The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan is a compelling novel of history, seduction, love -- and what it truly means to be a woman.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Chicago journalist Pilar Castillo returns to her native Venezuela for her beloved grandmother Gabriela's funeral, she and her mother are shocked to see a man they do not know at the service. Who is he, and why does no one in the close-knit family recognize him? The answers lie in a packet of Gabriela's diaries, her legacy to Pilar. Divided into sections corresponding to the South American proverb that a woman must be a lady in the living room, a chef in the kitchen and a courtesan in the bedroom, Gabriela's writings encourage her granddaughter to follow her heart and be true to her passions, and tell the story of Gabriela's own failure to do so by ceding to her wealthy father's wishes, forsaking her true love and marrying the man society dictates she must. Pilar herself is wavering between two suitors-the dashing Rafael, her family's choice, and Patrick, her irreverent photographer boyfriend in the States. Pilar's and Gabriela's stories are markedly different in tone and quality. While Gabriela's story is musical and sensually written, painting an enticing picture of Venezuelan society in the '40s and '50s, Pilar's is heavy-handed and clumsy, patiently explaining her culture as if to somewhat dim-witted readers-the priest comes to dinner "in keeping with a common practice in some South American homes"; Pilar has onyx eyes, "a common trait in Venezuelan women"; the differences between America and Venezuela lie "beneath the surface" and one cannot "grasp [them] merely by watching television." The past/present framing of the story is ungainly but, like the mangoes that provide the impetus for Gabriela's supremely erotic final chapter, the sweetness is within.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Pilar has arrived home for her grandmother's funeral in Venezuela, a far cry from the liberating winds of Chicago, where her career and the man she has left behind are sweet reminders of the freedom she has found in the U.S. At home, the obligations of a woman in her social class still remain, and Pilar greets her former intended, a man of means and importance, with apprehension as the pressure from her family to marry him mounts. Pilar's grandmother has left her a legacy of diaries, and their timing could serve to save Pilar from the hollowness of social decorum. The diaries' shocking secrets unwrap the mysteries of the corset and the dainty magnetism that shapes the allure of the South American lady. Social diction, the joys of the palette, and heart-pounding intimacies in the privacy of the bedroom suite enrich this novel with luscious sensuality, dripping with the erotic fruits of passion and the ancient art of being a woman. Elsa Gaztambide
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Rayo; 1 edition (August 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060530421
• ISBN-13: 978-0060530426
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,306,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot and spicy--true passionate love, September 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan (Hardcover)

Not only is the title terrific, but the content is beautifully written. This novel begins with Pilar,a contemporary woman living in Chicago who has gone back to her home country of Venezuela for her grandmother's funeral. She received a gift her grandmother wanted her to have: three journals, one entitled THE LADY, one THE CHEF and a third THE COURTESAN. Pilar reads these journals, the writings of her grandmother, which add a whole new dimension on to her grandmother's life Pilar nor Pilar's mother ever knew. Pilar's grandmother teaches her how to be a Lady in the living room, a Chef in the kitchen and a Courtesan in the bedroom.
The grandmother's diaries were my favorite part, a picturesque view of a seductive and wonderful culture where favors and sensations are described as if the reader was actually experiencing them themselves. Take this book to the beach, on the plane or curled in your favorite chair and it will make you hungry for love.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Age-old feminine secrets, uncovered, December 31, 2003

By 

Lacey Savage (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan (Hardcover)

There's something alluring and mysterious about South American women. They seem to possess a self-confidence and elegant beauty that makes them irresistible to men, and a complete mystery to other women. Could it be that they've simply been born with good genes? Or is it something else - a deeper secret passed down through generations that empowers Latin women and gives them the ability to explore and celebrate their sensuality and femininity?

Pilar Castillo is twenty-six years old, and trapped between two different cultures. She was born in Venezuela, but now resides in Chicago, where she's learned to live independently. She enjoys her job as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, and she's dating an all-American photographer named Patrick Russo. Yet her mother heartily disapproves of her choices - both in living, and in men. She's expected to come back home to be with her family, and to marry Rafael Uslar, an arrogant and flirtatious, albeit successful lawyer that she was once engaged to.

What's a girl to do when she's being pulled in so many directions? Advice and salvation come in the form of three leather-bound volumes; her grandmother's diaries which encompass her life and many words of wisdom. Pilar's grandmother, Gabriela, believes in the old proverb that states "a woman must be a lady in the living room, a chef in the kitchen, and a courtesan in the bedroom". By sharing her own experiences, Gabriela imparts upon Pilar the real secrets to being the quintessential Latin woman, and perhaps the most important lesson of all: that a woman should always follow her heart.

THE LADY, THE CHEF AND THE COURTESAN is elegantly written, and full of wit, charm and insight into a culture that still seems to be frozen in another time. There are many lessons to be learned from reading this book, and although the advice may sound dated at times - "a husband wandering around the kitchen could signify only one thing: his wife had failed miserably in her duties" - it also offers a refreshingly open look at relationships, and the gender roles that many of us still play in our daily lives.

This is an eloquent, lyrical novel which shouldn't be missed by any woman wanting a deeper look at uncovering the age-old secrets to her femininity.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All I can say is Wow!, October 27, 2004

By 

Asunsetorange (Sunny Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan (Hardcover)

Got this at the library yesterday; finished it today. Roughly 240 pages. That's the sign of a good book. When was the last time you've had a 5-star read?

It's so eerie...almost as if this book found me. I am sure many women will be able to relate to it if they have ever been in a love they cannot forget, a love impossible to explain, yet lingers in the depth of your being. In this book, it is purported to happen only "once" in a lifetime; i.e. your "orchard of truth". The grandmother's advice in this book? "When you find your orchard of truth, you must find a way to enter it..." There is so much wisdom in this book. The beauty rituals alone are worth the price. I will compile notes to incorporate many of them into my life as well as with my daughters. I learned so much about culture and traditions; about the importance of being a woman and living life true to self -- not for others. About knowing yourself before sharing yourself with others; about saving yourself for true love. It's all about following your heart to minimize a life of regrets.

Some portions of the book delve into true intimacy and will be a little risque for some I suspect, but truth prevails in its entirety for those who are honest with love.

This will definitely be purchased to add to my library. It's been a long time since I have been brought to tears with a book, but Marisol hit the nail on the head. She is so eloquent a writer, she says things precisely the way I feel. How does she do that?

For any woman in her 30's (and above) who has contemplated life, where she is, where she is going and choices that she has made at the sacrifice of self, this book is for you. I guarantee it will give you a new lease on life. I am most grateful to Marisol and this gem of a novel. Bravo!