Pretend You’re Dead and I Carry You
Bogotá in the 1990s, a lonely teenage daughter, a father lost in grief and guilt, and a wise travesti queen of the queer underground named Mamadora Eléctrica: that cast alone got our attention. After Valentina’s mother drowns, Mamadora steps in to look after her, as she once did for Valentina’s father, Ignacio, while fearing he has set loose a curse. Delgado Lopera’s Fiebre Tropical won a Lambda Literary Award, and this Fiction finalist looks just as bold. For readers who like family stories with curses, glamour, and grief in the same room.
Publisher’s description at Liveright (via Harvard Book Store). Finalist status from the National Book Foundation.
From the author of Fiebre Tropical, winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction. A 2026 National Book Award finalist for Fiction. Winners are announced November 18.
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