La Dama, La Cocinera Y La Cortesana: Una Novela = The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan

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.

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.

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.