judeschaud's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very interesting. I thought that it was quite descriptive and not that much happened until the last 25% of the book. It became really interesting and in any case I loved reading something about Colombia whilst being there. I loved the fact this story, despite being a fiction, talked about the feelings known to the author and stories that happened to the her / she heard about.
jcarsrud's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book for my book club and appreciate that is unlike most the books I’ve read. The characters were flat and I might have enjoyed it more had it been a memoir instead of fiction. This author/character grew up in the same time period that I did, but our worlds were completely different. I cannot imagine her setting with danger everywhere she went. I struggled with the word invasión and came to think of it as a homeless encampment, or maybe like the Hoovervilles in the 1930s. If you are interested in Columbia in 1980-2000, this might give you a good insight.
georgeryang's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
rai's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
womanwill's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
shinaabikwe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
akingston5's review against another edition
“Who’s to say why Mamá decided to grow that tree in her garden? It may have been that long mean streak in her, or it may have been because she was always saying you couldn’t trust anyone.” •••
“Sometimes the less you know the more you live.”
•••
Loved this coming-of-age narrative of two young women set against the backdrop of Pablo Escobar’s terror in Colombia. Based on events in the author’s own life, this is well-written with the heartbreak of losing the innocence of childhood and the reality of violence that enters the lives of so many young people at an early age. Can not recommend it enough.
“Sometimes the less you know the more you live.”
•••
Loved this coming-of-age narrative of two young women set against the backdrop of Pablo Escobar’s terror in Colombia. Based on events in the author’s own life, this is well-written with the heartbreak of losing the innocence of childhood and the reality of violence that enters the lives of so many young people at an early age. Can not recommend it enough.
aprestia310's review against another edition
4.0
I'm ashamed to say that I really do not know much about the history of Colombia or really any of South America, but this book did a great job at putting into perspective just how much fear and anxiety was interwoven with daily life.
busyblackbookworm'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
mama7301's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book is beautifully written, but I found it a little slow. It was interesting to learn about another life so very different from mine.