that "Esquivel's illumination of the motives that drive us as humans, even when we do not understand them, sets her novels apart. That ability, coupled with her dramatic use of the lush, tropical settings of her native Mexico, creates another work of fiction that acknowledges the alchemy of connection and the despair that results from severing those ties." References External links Swift as Desire on Random House website 2001 novels Mexican magic realism novels Novels set in Mexico