Between Two Fires: Intimate Writings on Life, Love, Food, and Flavor (Hardcover)

by Laura Esquivel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In all of these essays, Esquivel reflects on the essential way that food connects people to the important, spiritual aspects of life, often promoting her ideal of the New Man who "will give equal value to production and reproduction, to reason and emotion, to the intimate and the public, to the material and the spiritual." In essays such as "Apple Soup," "Manchamanteles" and "Chestnut Souffl?," she employs her characteristic blend of anecdotes and Mexican recipes. "Oaxacan Black Mole," for example, comes with a story about the first time the author made the dish as a childAit took hours because she thought the chicken was supposed to be shredded before it was cooked! Other works are more philosophical, like "God is Above, The Devil, Below," which describes the time the author gave up chocolate as a political statement. Esquivel has a strong, distinctive voice and a passion for her subject. Collections, though, can be tricky: at times, Esquivel is repetitious, particularly in her expositions about the New Man. To get the full benefit of her humor and insight, it's best to take short sips rather than long draughts. Two-color line drawings by F. Melendez throughout. (Jan.) Forecast: Drawn from her newspaper and magazine articles, book prologues and speeches, this collection of 14 essays will appeal to adamant fans of Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate and The Laws of Love. Some general food readers, however, will probably skip over the title in favor of books by authors with true gastronomic credentials.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate) on our relationship to food: a collection of articles, speeches, and book prologs.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Crown (February 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609608479
• ISBN-13: 978-0609608470
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #910,332 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A collection of thoughts., March 24, 2001

By	"bergsie" (Maraisburg, Gauteng South Africa) - See all my reviews

For those of you who expect something along the same lines as "Like Water for Chocolate" and "The Law of Love," you will be disappointed. "Between Two Fires" is basically a collection of thoughts, or short essays, taken from articles published in "Vogue de Mexico;" prologues to books such as "The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking," by Rick Curry; or speeches made at book fairs and psychoanalyst workshops.

"Between Two Fires" does not carry the heady aroma and full body of Esquivel's previous books. One feels as though someone forgot to keep stoking the fire and the meal, so to speak, has well ... gone cold in places.

If however, you want a quick, short read to pass the time on the bus, train, underground, in the doctor's waiting room or waiting for the kettle to boil whilst in the full knowledge that you can finish a chapter by the time you get to your destination, are called for your appointment or need to make tea for the neighbours, then this is an ideal book to carry along with you. It is basically an anthology of memories, thoughts, ideas, short stories, interwoven with the ever present taste and aroma of the kitchen.

5.0 out of 5 stars FAVOURITE AUTHOR - FABULOUS LOOK AT REAL HUMAN NATURE!!!, January 24, 2008

By	Skye-Sharica (Australia) - See all my reviews

I totally enjoyed this book, though I had to read it twice to really let it all sink in. At first you might think "How straight!". But that is EXACTLY WHAT IT IS NOT. It is a fantastic analysis of human nature through the medium of cooking. Each article is full of wit and humour and depth ( ... and horror at times). Laura Esquivel is my favourite author and she has not let me down on this collection of "theories". IT AINT BORING!!!