Laura Esquivel

Laura Beatriz Esquivel Valdés (born 30 September 1950) is a Mexican novelist and screenwriter best known for her debut novel Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate), which blends magical realism, family saga and recipes and became an international bestseller and a successful film adaptation. She began writing while working as a kindergarten teacher and has published several novels and screenplays; she has also been involved in Mexican public life.