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Who hasn't wished for the wisdom of the ages to be bestowed upon
them in one fell swoop? Who hasn't thought that there must be some
secret key that would make life easier, if only they knew what it
was? Who wouldn't give a considerable amount of money in exchange
for the knowledge that would smooth their way and land them on the
path to success?

Pilar Castillo has not necessarily wished to receive knowledge in
just these ways, but knowledge is what she finds in a beautiful
white brocade box containing three black leather bound journals,
each one based on a different aspect of a Latin American proverb
advising a woman to be a lady in the living room, a chef in the
kitchen, and a courtesan in the bedroom. The journals were written
by her recently deceased and much beloved maternal grandmother,
Gabriela, and they impart their own brand of wisdom from a life led
not as she would have wished it but as society dictated.
 
Born and raised in Venezuela and reared amongst a myriad of
unquestioned traditions, Pilar finds that life in America has
altered her attitude and perspective toward her traditional
upbringing. Culture shock is a mild description for the emotions
Pilar experiences when she returns home to Venezuela to attend
Gabriela's funeral and finds life in Venezuela much the same as
when she left. She is the one who has changed.

While she appreciates the beauty of the land and the people of
Venezuela, she can't help comparing Rafael --- her jilted
fiancé whose magnetic charm, good looks and the security he
could provide are overshadowed by an elevated opinion of himself
common in Venezuelan men --- to her current American boyfriend
Patrick, who tugs at her heartstrings and moves her to a plethora
of new feelings but who has not felt the need for a strong
commitment.
 
She compares the women of Venezuela to those of America and wonders
how on earth the Venezuelan women accept the traditions and social
mores that keep them confined in their roles as pampered and
protected objects. Yet at the same time, Pilar reveres the attitude
they maintain toward themselves as women.

As she searches for her identity and what she wants out of life,
Pilar is touched by the struggles and triumphs of her grandmother.
Through her journals, Gabriela manages to leave a legacy of wisdom
and encourages Pilar to throw off the expectations of others and
live her life as she sees fit, unfettered and unbound by family
expectations or the traditions of her past. The journals also
reveal that Gabriela had secrets, secrets unknown to even those
closest to her.

THE LADY, THE CHEF, AND THE COURTESAN is a heartwarming story and
an interesting look at a culture that differs vastly from that of
modern day America. While some women today can be glad to be free
of the expectations that restrict women in other countries or in
times gone by, this book may leave them wondering if their search
for freedom has cheated them, to an extent, of the beauty and
mystery of being a woman in another time and another place.