A darkly comic parable of power, manipulation, and one man's accidental rebellion
Mat's holiday takes an unexpected turn when he arrives in a small country and finds himself trapped-not by circumstance, but by an increasingly absurd epidemic response. Forget visiting the famed Surdarro Falls; he's confined to quarantine for violating regulations he never knew existed.
Welcome to the Land of the Clean-Footed, where the LGS-25 virus has given birth to a bizarre authoritarian regime. Mandatory foot cloths and plastic shoe covers. Compulsory foot-washing sessions announced by blaring sirens. A labyrinth of ever-changing rules enforced by the newly empowered Epidemic Police. And above all, the relentless mantra echoing from every loudspeaker, every television, every conversation: "The most important thing is defeating the epidemic."
But as Mat navigates this surreal world-befriending his innkeeper Tereza and her family, falling into forbidden conversations in kitchen whispers, and witnessing a society strangled by fear and propaganda-he begins to see the cracks in the facade. Why does a three-year-old epidemic still require such draconian measures? Why do the regulations multiply while real answers vanish? And what happens when nature itself refuses to follow the script?
As floodwaters rise and the regime's grip tightens, Mat finds himself caught between a doomed love affair, an inspector's desperate flight, and a society on the brink of revolution. In a world where truth has been buried under layers of manipulation, sometimes the most dangerous act is simply asking questions.
A biting social satire that resonates far beyond its fictional borders, The Land of the Clean-Footed is a darkly humorous exploration of how fear becomes control, how absurdity becomes normal, and how ordinary people can reclaim their power-if they dare to see through the lies.
Perfect for readers who enjoyed Orwell's wit, Kafka's absurdism, and the uncomfortable recognition that truth is often stranger than fiction.
"Nothing is more important than defeating the epidemic... except, perhaps, freedom itself."
