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Tropicália
Old secrets are brought to light when a family matriarch returns to Brazil after years away in this “original and highly immersive” ( Good Morning America ) debut that explores the heartbreak and hope of what it means to be from two homes, two peoples, and two worlds.
Daniel Cunha has a lot on his mind.
He got dumped by his pregnant girlfriend, his grandfather just dropped dead, and on the anniversary of the raid that doomed his drug-dealing aunt and uncle, his mother makes her unwanted return, years after she fled to marry another American fool like his father.
Misfortune, however, is a Cunha family affair, and no generation is spared. Not Daniel’s grandfather João—poor João—born to a prostitute and forced to raise his siblings while still a child himself. Not João’s wife, Marta, branded as a bruxa, reviled by her mother, and dragged from her Ilha paradise by her scheming daughter, Maria. And certainly not Maria, so envious of her younger sister’s beauty and benevolence that she took her vicious revenge and fled to the States, abandoning her Daniel and Lucia, both tainted now by their half-Americanness and their mother’s greedy absence.
There’s poison in the Cunha blood. They are a family cursed, condemned to the pain of deprivation, betrayal, violence, and, worst of all, love. But now Maria has returned to grieve her father and finally make peace with Daniel and Lucia, or so she says. As New Year’s Eve nears, the Cunha family hurtles toward an irrevocable breaking a fire, a knife, and a death on the sands of Copacabana Beach.
Amid the cacophony of Rio’s tumult—rampant poverty, political unrest, the ever-present threat of violence—a fierce chorus of voices rises above the din to ask whether we can ever truly repair the damage we do to those we love in this “fiery debut novel” ( The Washington Post ).
Daniel Cunha has a lot on his mind.
He got dumped by his pregnant girlfriend, his grandfather just dropped dead, and on the anniversary of the raid that doomed his drug-dealing aunt and uncle, his mother makes her unwanted return, years after she fled to marry another American fool like his father.
Misfortune, however, is a Cunha family affair, and no generation is spared. Not Daniel’s grandfather João—poor João—born to a prostitute and forced to raise his siblings while still a child himself. Not João’s wife, Marta, branded as a bruxa, reviled by her mother, and dragged from her Ilha paradise by her scheming daughter, Maria. And certainly not Maria, so envious of her younger sister’s beauty and benevolence that she took her vicious revenge and fled to the States, abandoning her Daniel and Lucia, both tainted now by their half-Americanness and their mother’s greedy absence.
There’s poison in the Cunha blood. They are a family cursed, condemned to the pain of deprivation, betrayal, violence, and, worst of all, love. But now Maria has returned to grieve her father and finally make peace with Daniel and Lucia, or so she says. As New Year’s Eve nears, the Cunha family hurtles toward an irrevocable breaking a fire, a knife, and a death on the sands of Copacabana Beach.
Amid the cacophony of Rio’s tumult—rampant poverty, political unrest, the ever-present threat of violence—a fierce chorus of voices rises above the din to ask whether we can ever truly repair the damage we do to those we love in this “fiery debut novel” ( The Washington Post ).
- GenresFiction
256 pages, Paperback
Published June 25, 2024
8 people are currently reading
2994 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 25, 2024
Thank you @AtriaBooks for my #gifted copy of Tropicália. #AtriaPartner
Tropicalia by Harold Rogers is a vibrant novel that earns a three-star rating for its evocative portrayal of Brazilian culture. The story delves into the life of a family rife with secrets and baggage. Rogers's writing shines in its ability to transport readers to the colorful streets of Brazil, offering a sensory experience that is both engaging and informative. However, the novel occasionally struggles with pacing, and some characters feel underdeveloped, which may leave readers wanting more depth in the storyline. Despite these shortcomings, Tropicalia remains an intriguing read.
Tropicalia by Harold Rogers is a vibrant novel that earns a three-star rating for its evocative portrayal of Brazilian culture. The story delves into the life of a family rife with secrets and baggage. Rogers's writing shines in its ability to transport readers to the colorful streets of Brazil, offering a sensory experience that is both engaging and informative. However, the novel occasionally struggles with pacing, and some characters feel underdeveloped, which may leave readers wanting more depth in the storyline. Despite these shortcomings, Tropicalia remains an intriguing read.
August 23, 2024
As a disclaimer, I won this in a goodreads giveaway.
One decision, or even one person’s set of decisions, can have a ripple effect across generations and impact many people’s lives. When Maria was a child, she witnessed her parents fighting, with her name thrown in the mix. She knows it’s something to do with her, but not what. All she knows is that her father’s a drunk and she can’t stay in Brazil. When she gets older and has her own children, she finds a way to leave. Soon after her sister Nara gets arrested for being a drug dealer, Maria leaves the country to marry an American man in America. She leaves her children, Daniel and Lucia, behind. When her father dies, the news might be the only thing to bring her back…to make amends and to move on.
At the heart of Tropicalia, it is a story of family and perseverance despite the situations we are thrown in. Every person involved in the story sees things through their own lens. Daniel hates his mother for leaving Brazil, harboring a hatred so deep that he says he will kill her if she comes back. Lucia is more open to her mother returning, unsure of her motivations for leaving in the first place. Maria’s own mother, who just lost her husband, blames Maria for Nara’s arrest and has always despised her a little bit.
This story has a lot of moving parts and a lot of characters to follow. Just when you think you have a situation figured out, you see it through someone else’s eyes and realize that sometimes what we see is not necessarily the truth. Sometimes we see a situation and interpret our own stories, which could be vastly different from the actual motivations behind the actions. It also shows that every action we take can have the potential impact to irreversibly change the course of people’s lives…especially if those actions are selfish.
While I enjoyed the underlying story of this book, it was confusing to follow at times. There is a lack of quotation marks throughout, so it becomes very difficult to see what is dialogue and what is the character’s thoughts. Everything is written first-person, with every chapter following a different character. Sometimes it can take several paragraphs to figure out who that character is. Also, you have to pay very close attention to the dates in the chapter openings to figure out exactly when the events took place. It goes back and forwards over a couple of days…so if you miss a date indication, you can get lost easily. It all hinges around the grandfather dying and the days that follow…it starts out with his death, but then goes a day or so before his death, to a day or so after, back to his death, etc. A bit of a confusing read, but the story really is quite good.
One decision, or even one person’s set of decisions, can have a ripple effect across generations and impact many people’s lives. When Maria was a child, she witnessed her parents fighting, with her name thrown in the mix. She knows it’s something to do with her, but not what. All she knows is that her father’s a drunk and she can’t stay in Brazil. When she gets older and has her own children, she finds a way to leave. Soon after her sister Nara gets arrested for being a drug dealer, Maria leaves the country to marry an American man in America. She leaves her children, Daniel and Lucia, behind. When her father dies, the news might be the only thing to bring her back…to make amends and to move on.
At the heart of Tropicalia, it is a story of family and perseverance despite the situations we are thrown in. Every person involved in the story sees things through their own lens. Daniel hates his mother for leaving Brazil, harboring a hatred so deep that he says he will kill her if she comes back. Lucia is more open to her mother returning, unsure of her motivations for leaving in the first place. Maria’s own mother, who just lost her husband, blames Maria for Nara’s arrest and has always despised her a little bit.
This story has a lot of moving parts and a lot of characters to follow. Just when you think you have a situation figured out, you see it through someone else’s eyes and realize that sometimes what we see is not necessarily the truth. Sometimes we see a situation and interpret our own stories, which could be vastly different from the actual motivations behind the actions. It also shows that every action we take can have the potential impact to irreversibly change the course of people’s lives…especially if those actions are selfish.
While I enjoyed the underlying story of this book, it was confusing to follow at times. There is a lack of quotation marks throughout, so it becomes very difficult to see what is dialogue and what is the character’s thoughts. Everything is written first-person, with every chapter following a different character. Sometimes it can take several paragraphs to figure out who that character is. Also, you have to pay very close attention to the dates in the chapter openings to figure out exactly when the events took place. It goes back and forwards over a couple of days…so if you miss a date indication, you can get lost easily. It all hinges around the grandfather dying and the days that follow…it starts out with his death, but then goes a day or so before his death, to a day or so after, back to his death, etc. A bit of a confusing read, but the story really is quite good.
November 21, 2024
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and was excited about the premise. Sadly, I found it clunky and not very interesting. Some of the sentences were just long run on tangents and others were a way to throw in five dollar vocabulary words but they didn't quite work.
However, those were not my main problems with the book. The book has a series of narrators. The chapters are not labeled (and while sometimes the characters reference themselves in the third person so you know who is speaking) and often you read a section and then something happens and you realize you thought it was someone else the whole time. Some of this is because the characters do not have unique voices and don't really come across as that different. So, that didn't really work for me. Most of the book, I felt like the author was just using parts of his own life and trying to fit it into this novel. Maybe not but that's how it came across.
I also really struggled with the Portuguese/Rio slang. I love dialect and learning new things about language and a particular place. That is one of the reasons I was interested in this book. However, the author would put in huge paragraphs and not translate them and he would use individual words and phrases but there was no glossary. Maybe if I was enjoying the book more I would have wanted to stop reading and look it up each time (it was a lot of times) but it made it even clunkier for me.
For these reasons I am giving the book 2 stars. Thanks again for the giveaway in exchange for honest feedback.
However, those were not my main problems with the book. The book has a series of narrators. The chapters are not labeled (and while sometimes the characters reference themselves in the third person so you know who is speaking) and often you read a section and then something happens and you realize you thought it was someone else the whole time. Some of this is because the characters do not have unique voices and don't really come across as that different. So, that didn't really work for me. Most of the book, I felt like the author was just using parts of his own life and trying to fit it into this novel. Maybe not but that's how it came across.
I also really struggled with the Portuguese/Rio slang. I love dialect and learning new things about language and a particular place. That is one of the reasons I was interested in this book. However, the author would put in huge paragraphs and not translate them and he would use individual words and phrases but there was no glossary. Maybe if I was enjoying the book more I would have wanted to stop reading and look it up each time (it was a lot of times) but it made it even clunkier for me.
For these reasons I am giving the book 2 stars. Thanks again for the giveaway in exchange for honest feedback.
January 10, 2025
I had a hard time settling on a rating for Tropicália. While the story itself is deep, dark, and compelling, the writing style made it difficult to fully enjoy. The lack of quotation marks often blurred the line between dialogue and narration, and the shifting narrators in each chapter offered little context, leaving the reader to piece together who was speaking.
That said, the plot was intriguing enough to keep me engaged despite these challenges. If the writing had been more accessible, I would have rated it higher. For context, I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, but there’s no indication it’s an advanced copy, so I don’t expect the readability will improve in future editions.
That said, the plot was intriguing enough to keep me engaged despite these challenges. If the writing had been more accessible, I would have rated it higher. For context, I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, but there’s no indication it’s an advanced copy, so I don’t expect the readability will improve in future editions.
May 18, 2025
An interesting novel following a Brazilian family as they work through complicated relationships and situations. The writing style was a bit hard to follow at times, but overall an enjoyable experience.
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for my copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for my copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 10, 2024
It was a good read.
June 14, 2024
I love discovering a new author. This is a debut novel for Harold Rogers. There are several narrators, there’s subsequently a ton of character depth. This is definitely an entertaining read.
October 15, 2024
woah. just woah. hectic at times but if there was ever a story about generational trauma and its lasting effects, this is definitely it.
December 10, 2024
This book draws you in and keeps you guessing. The characters are interesting and you can’t wait to read more.
January 12, 2025
Too tragic for me
August 9, 2024
Enjoyed book
July 25, 2024
Such a great read! I loved how this book was genre bending. I enjoyed the mystery, the thrill, the magical realism, and the generational relationships discussed in the book.
September 30, 2024
Tropicalia is an incredible story about a poor Brazilian family living is a dangerous Rio whose life has been heavily influenced by American tourist and an evil mother who would do whatever it takes to create the life she wants including abandoning her children and much worse. It follows three very hectic days around New Years where everything comes together to form a giant disaster around the city and within the family.
Tropicalia is very well written and very descriptive. It puts you in a mindset like you are living in those situations. It’s a great first book by Harold Roger’s and I’ll be looking out for stuff he comes out with in the future.
Actually score 3.9/5
Tropicalia is very well written and very descriptive. It puts you in a mindset like you are living in those situations. It’s a great first book by Harold Roger’s and I’ll be looking out for stuff he comes out with in the future.
Actually score 3.9/5
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews