PositiveFathom\"On its own, the novel’s plot is haunting enough, but it is made even more so with the addition of Contreras’s afterword, which details that many of the events were based upon her own upbringing ... Desperation makes demands. Those of means possess options that simply do not exist for those without. That reality is what makes Fruit of the Drunken Tree a particularly affecting immigrant account. It depicts the complexity and the humanity behind the journey, both of which are needed contributions under a presidency that stokes unfounded fear with its rhetoric about immigrants and refugees ... Contreras navigates this tumultuous terrain with an alluring sensitivity that proves she is an important voice to help us ask and answer such timely questions.\
