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1990s: During the Escobar war on Colombia, two women forge a potentially dangerous friendship..
Fruit of the Drunken Tree
What you need to know before your trail
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 spread fear and terror with his reign of drug smuggling and violence.
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. 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.
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
Bogota, Colombia
During the 1990’s, drug-lord, Pablo Escobar ruled much if not all of the country and it was an extremely violent and turbulent time for everyone, not just those involved in the drugs war.
He instilled fear into everyone, the normal man on the street, women and even children. Because of the Escobar fear, the country was overrun by communist guerrillas who were there to make money from the chaos. They wanted to overthrow the government, kidnapped people for ransom and carried out murders and torture to control the fear.
Contreras herself has experience of living in the gated communities as described in the book. Her mother used to take people in from disadvantaged areas, those who had been displaced by war and so she writes from the heart of what impression this made upon her.
This novel shows the two sides of a very divided Colombia. One of wealth and gated communities and the other of slums and danger of death on the streets.
The “Drunken Tree” of the book was used in making a very dangerous drug called “burundanga”. “Victims who reported being drugged with burundanga woke up with no memory of sometimes assisting in the looting of their own apartments and bank accounts, opening their wallets and handing over everything, but that’s exactly what they had done”.
Booktrailer Review
Susan:@thebooktrailer
There’s something very special and unique about Colimbia. We all have this impression of the violence and the drug wawr but there’s not many books in English which look at the situation through the eyes of those who suffered its effects.
I’ve read a lot about Escobar and the Colombian guerrilla wars in both Spanish and English but this book goes that one ste p further and really lets you see and experience the living conditions and fear of that time through the eyes of two girl s from two different sides of the track. One rich and privilagd, one poor. Their story is heartbreaking, raw, emtotional and gives you a great understanding of the conditions of the time.
What is even more unique is that this is largely inspired b the author’s experience as her mum would take in people displaced by the war and they would become maids etc around the house. So, as a young child, Ingrid got a view of the world and of cColombia that few of us would ever do. Her writing this story is to showcase a unique view of history onto the world.
And it’s a compelling one. The story of Pablo Escobar is well known but the story of those living in Colombia at the time perhaps less so. Seen and told through the eyes of a chil, makes this really poignant and special. The honesty, the unhindered view, the simplicity of some of that view makes it all the mar harder to bear.
Growing up is hard enough but imagine doing it in 1990s Colombia? Navigating not only the adult world but the iolent drug riddled one? A fascinating and compelling read.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Fruit of the Drunken Tree
Destination : Colombia Author/Guide: Ingrid Rojas Contreras Departure Time: 1990s
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