Dear students,

There are many ways the library can help you prepare for the stress that accompanies the end of every semester. Whether you have a handful of final exams or one large research paper, we know that it can be a lot to handle. But Falvey Library can be an incredible source of academic help and support. The list of excellent and peer-reviewed primary and secondary scholarly sources accessible to all Villanova students grows everyday. Additionally, no matter what your major, there’s a librarian who specializes in instructing you on how to access articles, books, and information you need to succeed. Stop by and meet your subject librarian soon…you’ll be glad you did!

During December, we’re counting down to the holidays by featuring a new Falvey Library acquisition every day…sort of like those fun Advent calendars you enjoyed as a kid! Have fun discovering the latest choices here at your library!

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

A mesmerizing debut set against the backdrop of the devastating violence of 1990’s Colombia about a sheltered young girl and a teenage maid who strike an unlikely friendship that threatens to undo them both.

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 elude authorities and capture the attention of the nation.

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. But Petrona’s unusual behavior belies more than shyness. 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.

Inspired by the author’s own life, and told through the alternating perspectives of the willful Chula and the achingly hopeful Petrona, Fruit of the Drunken Tree contrasts two very different, but inextricable coming-of-age stories. In lush prose, Rojas Contreras sheds light on the impossible choices women are often forced to make in the face of violence and the unexpected connections that can blossom out of desperation.

Check the blog tomorrow for another new resource!