Fiebre Tropical

A Novel

By: Juliana Delgado Lopera

Narrated by: Juliana Delgado Lopera

Lit by the hormonal neon glow of Miami, this heady, multilingual debut novel follows a Colombian teenager’s coming of age and coming out as she plunges headfirst into lust and evangelism.

Uprooted from her comfortable life in Bogotá, Colombia, into an ant-infested Miami townhouse, 15-year-old Francisca is miserable and friendless in her strange new city. Her alienation grows when her mother is swept up into an evangelical church, replete with Christian salsa, abstinent young dancers, and baptisms for the dead.

But there, Francisca also meets the magnetic Carmen: opinionated and charismatic, head of the youth group, and the pastor’s daughter. As her mother’s mental health deteriorates and her grandmother descends into alcoholism, Francisca falls more and more intensely in love with Carmen. To get closer to her, Francisca turns to Jesus to be saved, even as their relationship hurtles toward a shattering conclusion.

“Ebullient and assertive.... Francisca’s soul stinks up the place beautifully in Fiebre Tropical.” (The New York Times)

"Juli Delgado Lopera - remember that name - is an irreverent, shameless and disarming new novelist. They are a merciless satirist in control of a pitch-perfect voice that makes an indisputable case for Spanglish as the perfect vehicle to express what we are really like right now." (NBC News)

“A layered portrait of exile, sexual awakening, and family bonds.” (The Millions)

“Fiebre Tropical crackles and hums like neon, embedding contagious energy in the coming-of-age story of Francisca.” (Them)

©2020 Juliana Delgado Lopera (P)2021 Audible, Inc.

Phenomenal Story and Performance

Loved this coming-of-age story and the challenges the main character faces feel authentic and real.

Very relatable story written in Spanglish!

The only thing I was missing was some closure with Francisca y Carmen. The story ended seemingly abruptly, but I enjoyed every second before then. The story is written beautifully, almost like a poem. The use of Spanish terminology from South America made me smile. The way Spanish folk seamlessly blend both languages. Truly a beautiful story. Raw. Powerful. Everyone should read!

Couldn’t get used to the inaccurate accent

The Colombian accent wasn’t accurate, and some words in spanish were pronounced incorrectly with the accent in the wrong vocals. Maybe I would’ve liked the book if I read it instead of listening to it.