Sheltered within her grandmother's fiercely protective household, Ainhoa blossoms under the guidance of her constellation of aunts - women who become her teachers, guardians, and spiritual anchors. Through Ainhoa's keen observant eyes, readers experience how music and dance - particularly during the explosive energy of Carnaval - don't merely entertain but form the very heartbeat of existence, a pulsing testament to Afro-Ecuadorian identity and resistance. Yet beneath this tapestry of warmth and celebration, Carnaval Fever fearlessly confronts the shadows: crushing economic hardship, the heartbreak of migration, and the ever-present threat of male violence hovering at the community's edges. At its luminous core, however, this novel stands as a defiant celebration of women's resilience, collective power, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood that sustain communities through generations.
