The Tragedy of Fidel Castro, press release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           

The Tragedy of Fidel Castro

A Novel

By João Cerqueira

A Literary Collision of Humor, Irony, Politics, Religion and Miracles 

NEW HISTORICAL FICTION PITS CASTRO AGAINST JFK…

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM GOD

“...a magic realism hybrid of sacrificial lambs and revolution, capitalistic decadence, and celestial consequence in a dimension where the cogs of time have jammed.”  – Mark Spitzer, Toad Suck Review editor and professor of writing at the University of Central Arkansas

          Writer João Cerqueira of Portugal has always had an interest in the strange 1917 occurrence that happened in Fatima, when the Virgin Mary appeared to three Portuguese shepherd children, sharing several prophecies, including one that Communism would end.  Having also spent considerable time in Cuba and hearing stories of those who experienced Fidel Castro’s regime firsthand, João creatively combined the relationship between Castro and the Miracle at Fatima in his newest and refreshingly imaginative novel, The Tragedy of Fidel Castro.

         “I wanted to create something truly original, involving contemporary problems, politics, and the existence of God using facts, humor, and irony,” says João. “I hope to not only entertain, but to also have my readers reflect on the important issues in today’s world – capitalism versus socialism – as well as the meaning of life.”

           Humorous and teeming with metaphors, The Tragedy of Fidel Castro begins as God receives a request from Fatima to help prevent a war between Fidel Castro and  JFK which leads him to ask his reluctant son Jesus to return to Earth a second time to diffuse the conflict.

          Meanwhile, in Cuba, Castro faces protests on the streets and realizes he is about to be overthrown. All alone, surrounded by enemies and more than aware the end is fast approaching, he plays his final card: a pact with the Devil where he sells his soul in exchange for being remembered no longer as a dictator, but as a hero who fought for a better world.

          By this time, Christ arrives on Earth and teams up with Fatima, who is convinced she can create a miracle to avoid the ultimate battle between JFK and Castro and save the world as we know it. 

          From its captivating beginning to its final extraordinary conclusion, The Tragedy of Fidel Castro is a must-read for lovers of historical and literary fiction as it blends politics, religion and humor to take on today’s issues. The book critic Rita Bonet from the Os Meus Livros Magazine - which considered the novel book of the year in 2009 - wrote that ''it looks like a Monty Python script''.

          “The second coming of Jesus and his dialogues with God leads to reflections on the existence of religion and human nature and Castro’s invasion shows the clash between Socialism and reality,” adds João. “Although at the end the miracles are satirized, I would have to say that Christ certainly achieves better results than he did last time.”

Joa͂o Cerqueira has a PhD in History of Art from the University of Oporto.  He had four year research sponsorship grant awarded by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), within the field of history of art.  He covered the Porto 2001 European Capital of Culture for Arte Ibérica magazine. Cerqueira  is the author of seven books including The Tragedy of Fidel Castro:  Art and Literature in the Spanish Civil War, Blame it on to much freedom,  Devil’s Observations, Maria Pia: Queen and Woman, José de Guimarães (publish in China by the Today Art Museum), José de Guimarães: Public Art. His novels satirize modern society and use irony and humor to provoke reflection and controversy.

Please visit the author’s website at:  http://www.joaocerqueira.com/

The Tragedy of Fidel Castro is available at Amazon

Review copies available

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