María

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 Jose Morales Garcia

Language: Spanish

Title: María

Author: Jorge Isaacs

Publisher: Stockcero, Inc.

Year: 1868

Summary

This is a story about two people, Maria and Efrain. When they were young, they fell in love each other. The story happened in a ranch located near Cali-Colombia. Efrain was a handsome boy, and Maria an attractive woman. Efrain had to go to Bogota, because he was going to school. His studies took 6 years, and when he finished he came back to his home. Maria and he met again, and spent three months together. Efrain was to be a doctor, and he had to take classes in London. They were cousins and had their feelings for each other was kept secret. Only his sister Emma knew about their romance. After that, Efrain went to continue his studies, and he wrote letters to Maria to tell her about his life. 

In the Efrain family, many problems occurred that affected the health of his father. Two years later, Maria suffered a serious illness. Efrain received a letter from his family which explained what happened to Maria.  Therefore, Efrain returned to Colombia. When he arrived, Efrain knew that Maria died two days before. He was devastated and went far away.   Nobody knew where Efrain was.

Recommendation 

About the author Jorge Isaac (1837 – 1895), he was  born in Colombia. He is famous by his novel Maria which was written in 1864, and became to success quickly. His style was emotional lyrical novel. He just wrote one novel and some poems. He died in Ibague, Colombia. 

Maria is a romantic Colombian novel, and it had been translated to more than 15 languages since XIX century. In this pages we found an exquisite prose where the love and tragedy between Maria and Efrain. We can identified that we have something like strength and weakness, and it is even in this days.

Like Water for Chocolate

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Casandra Lopez De Garcia

Language: Spanish

Title: “Como agua para chocolate” (Like Water for Chocolate)

Author: Laura Esquivel

Publisher: Debolsillo

Year: 1989

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Summary

The book “Like Water For Chocolate” tells the story of Tita, who is the main character in this love story drama. The book is based during the Mexican revolution. Tita was in love with Pedro. However, she could not be with Pedro  because it was a  huge tradition that the youngest daughter of the house was to take care of her mother until her death. Since Pedro couldn’t be with Tita, he decided to marry Rosaura, which was Tita’s older sister; so this way he could be close to the woman he loved. Tita was able to put her feelings in the food she prepared. With any recipe that she prepared, she could transmit her feelings to the people who ate her dishes. For instance, the day of Pedro and her older sister Rosaura’s wedding, while she prepares the wedding cake, t her ears would fall into the cake mix. The next day at the wedding, when the guest ate the cake, everyone began to cry nonstop thinking or remembering their lost love, which was what Tita was feeling while making the cake. After a lot of years and many events in Tita’s and Pedro’s life, their love was so deep and strong that at the end they themselves are consumed by their own passion.

Recommendation

Most people that read this book love it and never forget this beautiful and  unique story. “Like Water For Chocolate” is a story about love, obstacles and passion. Laura Esquivel describes the amazing Mexican culture. During the revolution period, she shows that love always is stronger than anything; It doesn’t matter about the family, traditions, social position, profession or cultures. In this story the readers can learn about delicious Mexican recipes, and how you can transmit your feelings when you prepare the dish, and at the same time you get to know about true love. When you read this story, you can be feel sadness, excitement, happiness, and passion. The author introduces you an amazing journey of feelings.

 

In the Time of the Butterflies

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Maysa Michel Cordero

Language: Spanish 

Book Title: En el Tiempo de las Mariposas (In the Time of the Butterflies)

Author: Julia Álvarez

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Editor:  Editora Taller - República Dominicana

Year published: 1994

Summary

In this book, En El Tiempo De Las Mariposas, Julia Alvarez tells the heroic life of the Mirabal sisters (Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal) during the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Trujillo was a bloody dictator who took power of the Dominican Republic from the late 1930 until 1961, oppressing people and taking countless lives. The Mirabal sisters were young and pious women, who were politically committed to overthrow the Trujillo regime. In consequence, the sisters were harassed, persecuted and imprisoned. Their families suffered retaliation from the military intelligence service. “The Butterflies” (Las Mariposas) was the secret name of the Mirabal sisters while they were involved in underground political activities against the dictatorship. Furthermore, the book describes the perspective of these three sisters, including a fourth one who later survived them. The butterflies fought arbitrariness, injustice and the cult of personality in pursuit of justice, equality and inclusive Dominican society. The novel reaches its climax with the assassination of these three Mirabal sisters, which occurred on November 25, 1960, missing only few months away from the overthrow of Trujillo.The Mirabal sisters, thus martyred, became heroic figures in their country.

Recommendation  

The Mirabal sisters are extraordinary characters from reality, who certainly provided much of the strength that contains in this story during the most traumatic dictatorship in Latin America. They were known as Las Mariposas (the butterflies), symbolizing the hope for a small, unprotected and vulnerable country. Personally, I am proud that women had been the initiators of this mission. Every person who is proud of and committed to his or her country should read this book. Also, at this present time, there is a continuing emergence of such ‘’ butterflies,’’ who are very capable of defending their own countries.