Customer Reviews

The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

Marisol another of those one name personalities like Cher, Prince and Madonna. She has been a model, a banker, a belly dancer and various other professions in her life. A native of Venezuela, she has penned a wonderful tribute to her female heritage.

According to the Latin American proverb, for a woman to succeed in life and please her man, she needs to be a lady in the living room, a chef in the kitchen and the courtesan in the bedroom. This philosophy is played out in the tale of Pilar. She goes home for her grandmother's funeral, and finds she is left a legacy she did not expect: bound in black silk are her nana's journals. The writings carry the secrets of her grandmother's life she carried to the grave. The journals detail the beauty rituals women of South America for centuries have learned to master, stressing the social etiquette, delicious recipes to seduce men, including the most important recipe of all: how to blend a strong-willed woman into lady, wife and lover.

This is very sensual, compelling novel that contrast the glory of being feminine through the eyes of a modern woman against discovering the time honoured traditions of her grandmother.

A truly wonderful book that empowers being a woman on all levels.

Pilar Castillo, living in Chicago as a journalist, learns of her grandmother's death and leaves for her native country Venezuela to attend her funeral. Arriving there she sees a mysterious man who tosses a wreath of flowers and a charm into the ground where the coffin lays. Pilar wonders who the man is.
Coming home to the neighborhood where her grandmother lived and died is reminiscent of the days where things were slow-paced and simple. Time never let the city fade. The flora of the city Los Rosales has never been touched by ecological disasters. It remains filled with eucalyptus, orange blossoms, birds of paradise, and wine-red bougainvillea. The scents draw her into a time period.
Going between the past and the present, Marisol reflects on a time period where women were expected to be married and have children. They were to remain virtuous for marriage. Pilar is given a set of diaries that Gabriela Grenales de Knowles has left. As she reads them on her trip back to Chicago, she discovers who the real Gabriela is.
Gabriela was groomed to be a lady by her mother and a servant of native Indian/Spanish descent as a child. It would carry with her throughout her adult life. She had to learn to entertain her audience, prepare meals, and sexually gratify her partner. Upkeeping tradition was important to her but at what cost? The cost of a real love. She was in love with Jorge Armando. But she couldn't marry him because his family was mixed. As much money as Jorge's family had, her family forbid it. They were full-blooded European tracing their ancestry to the Spanish.
Gabriela married an Englishman and had a daughter with him. But it wasn't enough for her. Her true love was Jorge and rebelling against tradition would have cost her her reputation and her family. The diaries are a layout for her granddaughter to follwo but to do it on her own terms.
The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan, based on a South American proverb was good to read because it does layout some grooming techniques, reminiscent of what it is to be feminine. However I was disturbed by the racial makeupShe focused too much on the indigenous Indians, mixed Indian/Spanish and Spanish. She did not mention that there are people of African descent living in Venezuela nor did she present any of their traditions that could have helped the novel a bit.
It is a good book to read when you are going to work and coming home from work on the train.

I chose this book for our book club because of a review I read in the Denver Post and information about the author. I truly enjoyed this book because I have had such a special relationship with my grandmother, and this book captured a real essence of our special times together. I know that this will "insult" a lot of women, but it is so important to truly love and honor the man that you chose to spend your life with. This novel put this into perspective for me. No matter what our cultures are, it is important to keep "those secrets" within the confines of our homes. I loved this book!

This book is a must for woman who try to be all three of these things. It uses natural life experiences and puts you a world where you can relate to being torn between your feelings of family tradition and following your heart!

Wow! This is a mesmerizing, evocative and sensual tale of a time gone by, as well as time today. It's set in South America and the US, but its real territory is the heart. How do we love? Why do we love? Whom do we love? The answers are spiced with recipes of food, decorum and (ahem) sex. This is unlike anything I've ever read -- you must read it.

Remember "I am woman hear me roar?" At a time when most of us women are confused about our roles in societey, comes "The Lady, The Chef, and The Courtesan," an outstanding celebration of femininity to shed some light into who we are.
Set both in Venezuela and Chicago, "The Lady..." recounts the story of three generations of South American women based on the diaries of Gabriela Grenales, the grandmother who passes the secrets of how to be the perfect wife, woman and lover to Pilar, her Venezuelan granddaughter, who now lives in Chicago. Both women face similar choices: doing what's expected of them, versus following their heart. What ensues is a passionate tale that beckons every woman to follow her heart and do what's right for her. "The Lady..." conjures a gentler version of feminism, a place in the middle where women can reclaim their femininity without giving up their roar. I highly recommend this elegantly written novel, especially if you feel caught in the middle, or are facing a tough choice.

Who hasn't wished for the wisdom of the ages to be bestowed upon them in one fell swoop? Who hasn't thought that there must be some secret key that would make life easier, if only they knew what it was? Who wouldn't give a considerable amount of money in exchange for the knowledge that would smooth their way and land them on the path to success?

Pilar Castillo has not necessarily wished to receive knowledge in just these ways, but knowledge is what she finds in a beautiful white brocade box containing three black leather bound journals, each one based on a different aspect of a Latin American proverb advising a woman to be a lady in the living room, a chef in the kitchen, and a courtesan in the bedroom. The journals were written by her recently deceased and much beloved maternal grandmother, Gabriela, and they impart their own brand of wisdom from a life led not as she would have wished it but as society dictated.

Born and raised in Venezuela and reared amongst a myriad of unquestioned traditions, Pilar finds that life in America has altered her attitude and perspective toward her traditional upbringing. Culture shock is a mild description for the emotions Pilar experiences when she returns home to Venezuela to attend Gabriela's funeral and finds life in Venezuela much the same as when she left. She is the one who has changed.

While she appreciates the beauty of the land and the people of Venezuela, she can't help comparing Rafael --- her jilted fiancé whose magnetic charm, good looks and the security he could provide are overshadowed by an elevated opinion of himself common in Venezuelan men --- to her current American boyfriend Patrick, who tugs at her heartstrings and moves her to a plethora of new feelings but who has not felt the need for a strong commitment.

She compares the women of Venezuela to those of America and wonders how on earth the Venezuelan women accept the traditions and social mores that keep them confined in their roles as pampered and protected objects. Yet at the same time, Pilar reveres the attitude they maintain toward themselves as women.

As she searches for her identity and what she wants out of life, Pilar is touched by the struggles and triumphs of her grandmother. Through her journals, Gabriela manages to leave a legacy of wisdom and encourages Pilar to throw off the expectations of others and live her life as she sees fit, unfettered and unbound by family expectations or the traditions of her past. The journals also reveal that Gabriela had secrets, secrets unknown to even those closest to her.

THE LADY, THE CHEF, AND THE COURTESAN is a heartwarming story and an interesting look at a culture that differs vastly from that of modern day America. While some women today can be glad to be free of the expectations that restrict women in other countries or in times gone by, this book may leave them wondering if their search for freedom has cheated them, to an extent, of the beauty and mystery of being a woman in another time and another place.

--- Reviewed by Amie Taylor