Laura Beatriz Esquivel Valdés, known as Laura Esquivel, is a renowned Mexican novelist, screenwriter, and former politician. She garnered international acclaim with her first novel Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate), which became a bestseller in Mexico and the United States and was later adapted into an award-winning film.

Esquivel served in the LXIII Legislature of the Mexican Congress in the Chamber of Deputies for the Morena Party from 2015 to 2018. Prior to her literary success, she was a teacher by trade. Esquivel has been recognized for her ability to weave lessons about life into her writing, often emphasizing self-understanding over conventional academic knowledge. Her approach to storytelling reflects her innovative teaching spirit, notably infusing multimedia elements into her novel The Law of Love.

In an interview with Joan Smith for Salon, Esquivel shared her perspective on education and learning, stating, "As a teacher I realize that what one learns in school doesn't serve for very much at all, that the only thing one can really learn is self understanding and this is something that can't be taught." This philosophy is evident in her works, which blend narrative with introspective insights.