Tears of the Trufflepig

A Novel

By: Fernando A. Flores

Narrated by: Raul Castillo

LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE. One of Tor.com's Best Books of 2019.

"Readers of this breakout work [will leave] thrilled and disoriented in equal measure." --Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

One of The Daily Beast's Best Summer Beach Reads of 2019, one of Lit Hub and The Millions's Most Anticipated Books of 2019, one of Buzzfeed and Tor.com's Books to Read This Spring, and one of the Chicago Review of Books' Best New Books of May

A parallel universe. South Texas. A third border wall might be erected between the United States and Mexico, narcotics are legal and there’s a new contraband on the market: filtered animals—species of animals brought back from extinction to amuse the very wealthy.

Esteban Bellacosa has lived in the border town of MacArthur long enough to know to keep quiet and avoid the dangerous syndicates who make their money through trafficking. But his simple life gets complicated after a swashbuckling journalist invites him to an underground dinner at which filtered animals are served. Bellacosa soon finds himself in the middle of an increasingly perilous and surreal journey, in the course of which he encounters legends of the long-disappeared Aranaña Indian tribe and their object of worship: the mysterious Trufflepig, said to possess strange powers.

Written with infectious verve, bold imagination, and oddball humor, Fernando A. Flores’s Tears of the Trufflepig is an absurdist take on life along the border, an ode to the myths of Mexican culture, and an introduction to a staggeringly smart new voice in American fiction.

Critic reviews

"A darkly comic listen."
-AudioFile Magazine

Wonderfully strange, fascinating near-future border story

The author's writing style is filled with evocative imagery, and effortlessly merges intricate plot development with richly drawn characters. The exploration of existential themes surrounding the essence of life and the meaning of having a soul adds a profound layer to the narrative. This book truly captures the essence of introspection and engages readers in a reflective journey that lingers long after the final page. Highly recommended for those seeking a mesmerizing blend of cultural contact, fantasy elements, poetic prose, and existential contemplation.

enjoyed this and ended up teaching it in my class

I enjoyed this book and the reading and ended up teaching it in my class.

Kept on thinking about this book

This book was entertaining, the ideas were thought provoking, and the voices of the various characters rang true. When I kept on thinking about this book, I realized that I wanted to give a specific shout out to the narrator. His voice had a tone that screamed vulnerability and honesty in the most subtle way. Mr. Castillo was a huge reason I enjoyed the book and, now that I think about it, was the reason I found this book in the first place. I listened to a short story read by him and another woman and then looked for other books read by him. Lovely job, Mr. Castillo.

What's with all the.......long pauses

The story is ok but the narration was bad. A big disappointment was that the story felt like it was building up to something, making so many promises, but eventually not living up to most of them. Where most of my scorn lives is with the narrator's volatile pacing. If you want to give this book a chance, avoid the audio version at all costs