Fruit of the Drunken Tree

A Novel

By: Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Narrated by: Marisol Ramirez, Almarie Guerra, Ingrid Rojas Contreras

“One of the most dazzling and devastating novels I’ve read in a long time...Readers of Fruit of the Drunken Tree will surely be transformed.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Simultaneously propulsive and poetic, reminiscent of Isabel Allende...Listen to this new author’s voice — she has something powerful to say.”
—Entertainment Weekly

A mesmerizing debut set in Colombia at the height Pablo Escobar's violent reign about a sheltered young girl and a teenage maid who strike an unlikely friendship that threatens to undo them both.

Seven-year-old Chula and her older sister Cassandra enjoy carefree lives thanks to their gated community in Bogotá, but the threat of kidnappings, car bombs, and assassinations hover just outside the neighborhood walls, where the godlike drug lord Pablo Escobar continues to elude authorities and capture the attention of the nation.
When their mother hires Petrona, a live-in-maid from the city's guerrilla-occupied slum, Chula makes it her mission to understand Petrona's mysterious ways. But Petrona's unusual behavior belies more than shyness. She 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 that will force them both to choose between sacrifice and betrayal.
Inspired by the author's own life, and told through the alternating perspectives of the willful Chula and the achingly hopeful Petrona, Fruit of the Drunken Tree contrasts two very different, but inextricably linked coming-of-age stories. In lush prose, Rojas Contreras has written 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.

Beautiful and heartbreaking story

Easy to fall in love with the characters. Beautiful story of the personal lives impacted by a heartbreaking time of Colombian history.

Beautiful, Eye-Opening, Sad

The narrator brought each character to life and you feel sorry for them, angry at them and above all the story will make you feel.

Insightful

A really good look into the life of a columbian girl. Sad, but not overwhelming. A good novel excellently performed.

Great story and great narration

I saw some reviews about the narration being slow , but if you move it up to 1.15x speed, it's perfect.

Beautifully told story.

As the book went on, I became more attached to the characters. It weaves fact and fiction, reminding me of a time not so long ago.
It’s an important story, especially during this time in the States when we are making everything so Great Again’. Highly recommended.