Behind every great political novel lies a personal question. Why does an author tell this particular story – and why now? In Perestroika · An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, João Cerqueira processes not only contemporary European history but an existential experience: the collapse of a system – and the fragility of what follows.
From the Fall of the Wall to Literary Vision
In an author interview, Cerqueira describes the historical starting point of his novel. For him, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War were not merely a geopolitical event, but a moral turning point. "Democracy is not a definitive state, but a fragile balance," he said in conversation with the publisher. This sentence is not an incidental thought – it is the foundation of the entire novel.
What happens after the euphoria? What happens when a totalitarian regime falls, but mentalities remain? This is precisely where Cerqueira begins. His fictional state of Eslavia is exemplary of many Eastern European countries after Perestroika. The dictatorship ends, but power does not disappear – it merely changes its form.
A Writer Between Art and Politics
João Cerqueira holds a doctorate in art history. This perspective palpably shapes the novel. Art in "Perestroika" is not decoration but a political battlefield. Pictures are stolen, reinterpreted, instrumentalized. Memory is curated. Truth is staged.
Here, the author's unique signature is evident. As a connoisseur of cultural narratives, he understands that ideologies operate not only through laws but through images, symbols, and interpretations. His political thriller is therefore simultaneously a novel about the power of art – and about its endangerment in authoritarian systems.
Democracy as an Open Process
In the interview, Cerqueira emphasizes that he was concerned not only with the collapse of communist dictatorships but also with the subsequent development. The new order was no guarantee of justice. Corruption, opportunism, and moral grey areas reappeared.
This skepticism towards easy promises of salvation makes the novel so topical. In a time when democratic systems worldwide are under pressure and authoritarian models are gaining influence again, "Perestroika" acts as a literary warning. Cerqueira shows: freedom is not a given, but a permanent task.
Why This Novel Should Be Read Today
"Perestroika · An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth" is more than a contemporary history novel about the end of the Cold War. It is a novel about freedom and responsibility, about justice and retribution, about the temptation to respond to injustice with new injustice. It is precisely this moral dimension that distinguishes the work from many classic political thrillers.
The author does not force his readers into a position, but he confronts them with uncomfortable questions. How far can one go when institutions fail? Is retribution legitimate when the rule of law is weak? And what does truth mean in a society long shaped by propaganda?
An Internationally Acclaimed Author
With "Perestroika," João Cerqueira achieved his international breakthrough. The work was initially published in Portuguese and received numerous awards. It combines literary quality with political sharpness – a rare combination in the genre of the political novel.
The book cover – dark, high-contrast, full of suspense – reflects the atmosphere of the novel. It alludes to the themes of power, ideology, and moral decision. But behind this visual austerity lies a deeply humanistic core: the belief that truth and responsibility are non-negotiable.
In the end, an impression remains that goes beyond the plot. Cerqueira does not tell a mere story about Eastern Europe or systemic collapse. He tells of the fragility of political orders and the courage of the individual to take a stand. With "Perestroika · An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth," João Cerqueira has created a novel that powerfully combines historical experience, political analysis, and human drama.
The book is available in German language as a printed, hardcover edition (ISBN 978-3-910347-79-3) and as an EPUB (ISBN 978-3-910347-80-9) in bookstores or here in the publisher's shop.
