Fruit of the Drunken Tree

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - Seven-year-old Chula lives a carefree life in her gated community in Bogotá, but the threat of kidnappings, car bombs, and assassinations hover just outside her walls, where the godlike drug lord Pablo Escobar reigns, capturing the attention of the nation.

"Simultaneously propulsive and poetic, reminiscent of Isabel Allende...Listen to this new author's voice--she has something powerful to say." --Entertainment Weekly

When her mother hires Petrona, a live-in-maid from the city's guerrilla-occupied neighborhood, Chula makes it her mission to understand Petrona's mysterious ways. Petrona is a young woman crumbling under the burden of providing for her family as the rip tide of first love pulls her in the opposite direction. As both girls' families scramble to maintain stability amidst the rapidly escalating conflict, Petrona and Chula find themselves entangled in a web of secrecy.

Inspired by the author's own life, Fruit of the Drunken Tree is a powerful testament to the impossible choices women are often forced to make in the face of violence and the unexpected connections that can blossom out of desperation.

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320 pages

Average rating: 7.52

54 RATINGS

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1 REVIEW

Community Reviews

jen.reads
Nov 24, 2021
7/10 stars
A story of an unlikely friendship between a wealthy girl and her impoverished housemaid in Columbia, with the backdrop of political chaos of Pablo Escobar’s reign. This story was enjoyable, and I was a bit sad it was over when I finished. I do think the story has more potential - at times the writing was a bit awkward. The narrator is a child, so there leaves a lot to be discussed on the complex political situation in Columbia. Overall, a good read. I am looking forward to what else Ingrid Rojas Contreras has to write!

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