If you'd rather place an order by talking to one of our cheerful order desk clerks, please call 1-888-232-4444 (USA and Canada only) or 250-383-6864. From Europe, ring our UK order desk clerk at local rate number 0845 230 9601 (UK only) or 44 (0)1865 722 113.

Election Dance

by Joseph Hart

377 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #05-3096; ISBN 1-4120-8099-1; US$24.50, C$28.17, EUR20.13, £14.09

A realistic, erotic romance set in the Caribbean. An idealist confronts his traumatic childhood and taboos, as he fights organized crime and dirty politics. He attains redemption through unconditional love.

Read more!

About the Book

About the Author

Excerpts

Catalogue Information

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.

---

About the Author

Joseph Hart was born in Bonaire, raised and educated in Curacao, where he obtained his teacher's certificate. In Holland he worked and studied and got his Master's degree in English. Back on his island he worked at a high school, at the University of the Netherlands Antilles, and gave evening classes in English conversation. Later he became the superintendent of secondary schools for the Roman Catholic School Board. He now has his own language institute. Throughout his life he has been involved in social-cultural projects aimed at improving the quality of life of his island community, for which he was honored by a royal decoration. In 2000 he published his first collection of poems in four languages ("Entrega"). Election Dance is his first novel.

---

Excerpts

---

Catalogue Information

---