57 pages • 1 hour read
304
Novel • Fiction
Bogotá, Colombia • 1990s
2018
Adult
18+ years
890L
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras is a semi-autobiographical novel set in late 1980s and early 1990s Bogotá, following the friendship of young Chula Santiago and her family's maid, Petrona Sanchez, amidst Colombia's violent unrest. As Petrona is coerced into criminal activities, she ultimately chooses to protect Chula, leading to significant consequences for both. Themes of violence, displacement, and coercion are present.
Mysterious
Dark
Melancholic
Emotional
Nostalgic
20,727 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Ingrid Rojas Contreras’ Fruit of the Drunken Tree has been praised for its evocative prose and rich portrayal of 1990s Colombia. The novel’s strengths include strong character development and vivid settings. Criticisms involve a occasionally slow pacing and some predictability in plot twists. Overall, it's a compelling debut that resonates emotionally.
Readers who appreciate richly detailed, character-driven narratives set against politically charged backdrops will enjoy Ingrid Rojas Contreras’s Fruit of the Drunken Tree. Fans of Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits or Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude will find a similar blend of personal and historical storytelling.
20,727 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
304
Novel • Fiction
Bogotá, Colombia • 1990s
2018
Adult
18+ years
890L
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