Election Dance

About the Book

Matthew Bartels, a brilliant, idealistic 37-year-old math teacher, is asked to participate as a keynote speaker in a seminar on sustainable growth, a blueprint for a change in politics to achieve better governance after the upcoming elections. This leads to his joining a political party, as the only way to realize his vision. When the pressure mounts on account of his excessive workload and personal attacks in the media, we see him struggling with the demons of his past, which undermine his carefully controlled life. Politics and crime are closely linked and concentrated in the evil genius of 'The Voice', who is building a drug empire. Matthew relives his childhood horrors via his nightmares and the reader learns about his traumatic youth. Throughout the novel the love relationship and the political & criminal plot lines are inextricably linked, and contribute to Matthew's unraveling. There are beautiful erotic passages as well as nightmarish scenes.

The characters are drawn from all walks of life in an endless variety, from low life, almost inhuman types, to scheming politicians, to a sinister Machiavellian manipulator, to idealistic academics, willing to sacrifice their careers to create a better community. They are all in the grip of the upcoming elections and dance to its rhythm, each in his own way, weaving an intricate and spellbinding choreography of human desires, ambitions, greed, love, passion, sacrifice and idealism.

Election Dance is a realistic, erotic and psychological novel, depicting real life situations and taboos within the context of Curacao's social-historical and cultural setting and holds up a mirror to modern society. The language varies with the characters and can be tender and poetic, but also coarse and true to life.