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dreamingandendless's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A flash from the past. I was born after the time the book describes but every Colombian my age knows of the 80s and 90s. Guerrilla and Narcos and assassinations and car bombs and kidnappings.
The book captures Colombians' relationship with violence. An eternal Civil war with changing factions that have left millions upon millions without a home. The narrator is a child which is by far the best way to try and explain to people how it was, how it feels the first time you turn on the news and something horrible happened near to you.
Written from a priveledged perspective, it is nonetheless powerful and emotionally charged. The book hits very close to home, since I too left Colombia for more hopeful horizons. The protagonist's older sister acts pretty much as I have these last year's in expatriation, trying to forget, trying to excel and overcome. The feeling of smallness you have. People don't understand where you've come from.
I am distraught. The writing is very good and I don't know if I can say anything too damning of the book. Unsure what non-colombian US/European audiences will get out of this book. Some sick sense of voyeuristic smugness?
The book captures Colombians' relationship with violence. An eternal Civil war with changing factions that have left millions upon millions without a home. The narrator is a child which is by far the best way to try and explain to people how it was, how it feels the first time you turn on the news and something horrible happened near to you.
Written from a priveledged perspective, it is nonetheless powerful and emotionally charged. The book hits very close to home, since I too left Colombia for more hopeful horizons. The protagonist's older sister acts pretty much as I have these last year's in expatriation, trying to forget, trying to excel and overcome. The feeling of smallness you have. People don't understand where you've come from.
I am distraught. The writing is very good and I don't know if I can say anything too damning of the book. Unsure what non-colombian US/European audiences will get out of this book. Some sick sense of voyeuristic smugness?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Drug abuse
abbasaurusrex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Drug use, Kidnapping, Child death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Classism and Death
aduran037's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, War, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Violence
annreadsabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
I was an enormous fan of Ingrid Rojas Contreras’ stunning memoir/family biography The Man Who Could Move Clouds, so I knew I had to pick up her debut novel Fruit of the Drunken Tree—and I was of course not disappointed.
This novel follows, chiefly, a young girl by the name of Chula who lives a fairly privileged, sheltered life within a gated community in Bogotá during the height of Pablo Escobar’s cartel empire. but things begin to change when her mother hires a preteen by the name of Petrona to help around the house. As Chula begins to learn more about Petrona, whose family is plagued by poverty and violence in the nearby invasiónes, both girls become mired in secrets that become increasingly difficult to keep, particularly as the violence begins to spill into Chula’s own community.
This was a fantastic read—I loved how Rojas Contreras considers childhood, class, and privilege when one’s country is embroiled in chaos. She in particular does a stellar job of considering who primarily bears the weight of sociopolitical violence. There are questions of who gets to be considered “political,” whose life will be protected, and who gets to have any semblance of childhood. The characterization of Chula in particular is fantastic—it can be hard to write a book for adults from the perspective of a child, but I think Rojas Contreras pulls it off fabulously.
The only thing I would’ve liked to have seen more of was Petrona’s character—although there are plenty of chapters devoted to Petrona’s story and experiences, they are all quite short and I felt as though we could’ve gotten more of a sense of her desires and feelings.
But that small critique aside, this was an absolutely fantastic read and I really hope more people dig into it! Rojas Contreras is a phenomenal writer and I am definitely a fan—if/when she writes anything else, I will automatically read it, no questions asked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Child death, and Rape
amyjo25's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
moniipeters's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Blood, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Trafficking, Violence, War, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Torture
bookishbeccahale's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Rape
henrye's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Rape, Murder, Violence, Child death, Pregnancy, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, and Gore
bookdragon217's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras is this month's pick for @theempirestatebookclub. This is a historical fiction read set in Pablo Escobar era Colombia. It was a slow burn read that leads to a heart-breaking gut punch that leaves you thinking about the characters long after you close the pages.
"So much of my life was waiting." This quote personifies the tone and pacing of this one. You see the story unravel through the eyes of 7 year old Chula, a rich girl trying to make sense of the world through observation of everything and everyone around her. She waits to see if Pablo Escobar will infiltrate her community because at home her parents instill fear in his larger than life reputation. She hides and waits observing all that she can about Petrona, the 15 year old girl hired by her mother to work at her house. As a reader you wait alongside her until it all comes boiling to the surface. As you wait, you learn: who are the victims in "drug wars", how classism and poverty affect the choices people are forced to make, whose lives are expendable and how women and children bear thr brunt of the consequences of civil unrest.
The themes in this one are what I will remember the most. The women are the backbone in the story and you see them bear the brunt of the burden when it comes to childbearing and financial responsibilities when men are absent either by choice or violence. You see women as agents of upholding or dismantling classism and patriarchy. You also see how women are abused and face violence because of political unrest.
The innocence of children is a huge part of the story. Parental influence and the perpetuation of a culture of fear create huge anxieties and trauma for children living during civil unrest. Parents often withhold truths to "protect" children and keep them alive but many times leaves them susceptible to dangerous situations.
Classism plays a huge role in the events of this novel. Poverty & lack of resources force people to make impossible choices. The rich can't see past their own problems until something happens in their backyard. Survival comes at a cost. This one forces you to take a look at what that looks like.
Read this one if you enjoy: visual storytelling styles, Latinx historical fiction, feminist stories, slow burn riveting stories, folkloric fiction and multiple point of views. The focus on women and children in this one really gave it a unique point of view. The historical aspects piqued my interest so much, I found myself researching more information. I look forward to reading Rojas Contreras memoir because I can see how much of her own family's story is contained in this one. I am eager to read more from her because the writing was really beautiful, authentic and really gave a glimpse into Colombian worldview.
"So much of my life was waiting." This quote personifies the tone and pacing of this one. You see the story unravel through the eyes of 7 year old Chula, a rich girl trying to make sense of the world through observation of everything and everyone around her. She waits to see if Pablo Escobar will infiltrate her community because at home her parents instill fear in his larger than life reputation. She hides and waits observing all that she can about Petrona, the 15 year old girl hired by her mother to work at her house. As a reader you wait alongside her until it all comes boiling to the surface. As you wait, you learn: who are the victims in "drug wars", how classism and poverty affect the choices people are forced to make, whose lives are expendable and how women and children bear thr brunt of the consequences of civil unrest.
The themes in this one are what I will remember the most. The women are the backbone in the story and you see them bear the brunt of the burden when it comes to childbearing and financial responsibilities when men are absent either by choice or violence. You see women as agents of upholding or dismantling classism and patriarchy. You also see how women are abused and face violence because of political unrest.
The innocence of children is a huge part of the story. Parental influence and the perpetuation of a culture of fear create huge anxieties and trauma for children living during civil unrest. Parents often withhold truths to "protect" children and keep them alive but many times leaves them susceptible to dangerous situations.
Classism plays a huge role in the events of this novel. Poverty & lack of resources force people to make impossible choices. The rich can't see past their own problems until something happens in their backyard. Survival comes at a cost. This one forces you to take a look at what that looks like.
Read this one if you enjoy: visual storytelling styles, Latinx historical fiction, feminist stories, slow burn riveting stories, folkloric fiction and multiple point of views. The focus on women and children in this one really gave it a unique point of view. The historical aspects piqued my interest so much, I found myself researching more information. I look forward to reading Rojas Contreras memoir because I can see how much of her own family's story is contained in this one. I am eager to read more from her because the writing was really beautiful, authentic and really gave a glimpse into Colombian worldview.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Torture and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Classism, and Panic attacks/disorders
imds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Addiction and Death of parent