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A review by book_concierge
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
5.0
Digital audiobook performed by Marisol Ramirez, Almarie Guerra and Ingrid Rojas Contreras.
Based on the author’s own life experiences, this novel tells the story of a family “safely” ensconced within their gated community in Bogotá, Columbia in the early to mid 1990s. Chula, the 7-year-old narrator, and her older sister Cassandra enjoy a relatively carefree life within the community. But just outside the walls of their compound, the infamous, and seemingly all powerful, drug lord Pablo Escobar continues his reign of terror with kidnappings, car bombs and assassinations.
I loved that Contreras used two different young women (girls, really) to narrate this story. The viewpoint alternates between Chula and Petrona, who is the family’s teen-aged maid. Chula has a naivete and innocence of youth, and of her upbringing in a relatively safe, secure and stable (if isolated) environment. Petrona, on the other hand, has suffered the indignities and deprivations of the poor and uneducated. The oldest of nine children who live in a slum, she has taken on the burden of being the breadwinner for her family at the tender age of thirteen. The way these two narrators see what is happening in their country is colored by their experiences – each of them having a limited viewpoint for different reasons. And those limitations make them vulnerable to manipulation, and result in some dangerous situations.
I was completely immersed and engaged in their story from beginning to end. Having both viewpoints I recognized the danger long before either of the narrators, but was still caught off guard a few times as twists and turns occurred in the plot. For the time I spent with these characters I had a glimpse of the uncertainty the citizens of Columbia must have felt.
It’s a strong debut for Contreras and I look forward to reading her future works.
The audiobook was masterfully performed by Marisol Ramirez, Almarie Guerra and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Brava, ladies.
Based on the author’s own life experiences, this novel tells the story of a family “safely” ensconced within their gated community in Bogotá, Columbia in the early to mid 1990s. Chula, the 7-year-old narrator, and her older sister Cassandra enjoy a relatively carefree life within the community. But just outside the walls of their compound, the infamous, and seemingly all powerful, drug lord Pablo Escobar continues his reign of terror with kidnappings, car bombs and assassinations.
I loved that Contreras used two different young women (girls, really) to narrate this story. The viewpoint alternates between Chula and Petrona, who is the family’s teen-aged maid. Chula has a naivete and innocence of youth, and of her upbringing in a relatively safe, secure and stable (if isolated) environment. Petrona, on the other hand, has suffered the indignities and deprivations of the poor and uneducated. The oldest of nine children who live in a slum, she has taken on the burden of being the breadwinner for her family at the tender age of thirteen. The way these two narrators see what is happening in their country is colored by their experiences – each of them having a limited viewpoint for different reasons. And those limitations make them vulnerable to manipulation, and result in some dangerous situations.
I was completely immersed and engaged in their story from beginning to end. Having both viewpoints I recognized the danger long before either of the narrators, but was still caught off guard a few times as twists and turns occurred in the plot. For the time I spent with these characters I had a glimpse of the uncertainty the citizens of Columbia must have felt.
It’s a strong debut for Contreras and I look forward to reading her future works.
The audiobook was masterfully performed by Marisol Ramirez, Almarie Guerra and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Brava, ladies.