the late 1930s and early 1940s when Júbilo was newly married, and the mid-1990s, when he is an old man on his death bed. Lucha has not spoken to him in decades, but the reason is not articulated. The later timeline is narrated by their daughter, Lluvia, and the rest by an omniscient narrator. As the story of the deeply-in-love couple slowly unfolds, the reader approaches the critical point that causes them to stop speaking. From a starting point of a truly magical ability in the area of communication, the culmination of the tale is a sort of mirror image, in which Júbilo as an old man is dying of Parkinson's, and cannot communicate at all. Reception Reviews were mixed, leaning towards the positive. Kirkus Reviews calls the novel an imaginative, lyrical fictional memoir, which is both "tender and thoughtful, if at times rather stilted". Similarly, Publishers Weekly also lauds Esquivel's style, calling Swift as Desire a "quirky and sensual story with a moralistic twist, its cute-as-can-be characters arguing and loving with equal passion." However, this review also acknowledges that the book "lacks that certain something that enthralled readers of Like Water for Chocolate." The review concludes on a positive note, however, assuring readers that "chuckles and sighs" are to be had, and that "if a reader craves more of the sweet wackiness that made the author's first book so appealing, Swift As Desire certainly delivers." It declaims that "Esquivel's storytelling abilities are in top form here, and, despite its unoriginality, the novel succeeds in conveying a touching message of the power of familial and romantic love." Booklist's Kathleen Hughes assures "fans of Esquivel, and there are many, will definitely enjoy this beautifully written story done in her trademark magical and bittersweet style." Library Journal'''s Mary Margaret Benson writes, "Once again, Mexican novelist Esquivel mixes together an unexpected blend of ingredients, in this case Mayan and Aztec numerology, communication technologies (from telegraphs to computers), and human passions..... full of passion, fascinating cultural history, and endearing characters and will be enjoyed by her many fans." The Yale Review of Books panned the novel, estimating that the prose "ranges from the melodramatic ... to the mind-numbingly dull." Kelly Koepke's BookPage review, however, was enthusiastic, calling Swift as Desire'' "an enchanting, bittersweet story that demonstrates in convincing fashion how keeping secrets leads to unhappiness, while true communication can lead to love." Koepke concludes