Internationally acclaimed author Prof. Berend Mets is set to captivate readers once again with his latest historical novel, a thought-provoking and emotionally charged story that explores whether the truth can truly set one free.
Set against the backdrop of post-apartheid South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings, TRUTH & CONCILIATION is a riveting tale that unearths buried secrets, tests the limits of forgiveness, and delves into the deep scars left by a fractured past.
The novel unfolds in Cape Town in 1996, as an Afrikaans doctor seeks amnesty for his complicity in apartheid-era atrocities. But what begins as a plea for legal redemption spirals into a deeply personal reckoning when detective Thembisa Dlamini, a fierce Xhosa police officer, forces him to confront his past.
Delivering an emotionally charged drama, Berend expertly weaves historical reality with fiction, shedding light on the horrors of forced removals, racial classification, and police brutality, while painting a deeply human story of love, betrayal, and reconciliation.
The author has long admired the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who championed the TRC as a means to steer South Africa away from civil war toward reconciliation. “As a historian and doctor, I wanted to write a medicine-based story about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” he explains. “I chose to explore it from both perspectives – the black and the white – through two deeply complex characters. Their journey essentially poses Archbishop Tutu’s assertion that telling the truth will set you free.”
Additionally, the book pays homage to Max du Preez’s reportage on the TRC hearings, and to those who shared their testimonies. “The participants who gave testimony are to be honoured for their courage in bringing their stories to the world,” says Berend.
The author was born in Indonesia to Dutch parents. He grew up in apartheid-era South Africa and pursued a career in medicine, becoming a renowned anaesthetist and scientist. His academic journey took him through the Universities of Stellenbosch and Cape Town before he moved to the United States, where he is currently a Professor of Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Pennsylvania State University.
Having built a distinguished career as an academic, researcher, and anaesthesiologist, Berend has contributed extensively to medical literature and has authored two acclaimed non-fiction books – Waking Up Safer? An Anesthesiologist’s Record and Leadership in Anesthesia: Five Pioneers of the Deadly Quest for Surgical Insensibility.
However, driven by a passion for unearthing forgotten histories and giving voice to untold narratives, he transitioned from medical writing to fiction, earning an MFA in Creative Writing at Carlow University in Pittsburgh. His debut novel, Immorality Act, received critical acclaim for its bold examination of apartheid-era injustices when it was published in 2024.
With TRUTH & CONCILIATION, Berend masterfully weaves personal and political struggles into a compelling narrative, challenging readers to confront the past while considering the power of truth and forgiveness.
Fans of Gillian Slovo’s Red Dust and Deon Meyer’s The Last Hunt will find the book to be a gripping and morally complex read. The author also acknowledges the influence of key works such as Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull, A People on the Boil by Harry Mashabela, and Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela’s A Human Being Died That Night, all of which document the harrowing TRC testimonies that inspired elements of his novel.
TRUTH & CONCILIATION is a must-read for those interested in historical fiction, social justice narratives, and deeply moving human stories.
The book was officially launched at a prestigious event held at the Hofmeyr Hall in Stellenbosch on 12 March 2025. This occassion was a resounding success, attended by an exclusive group of invited guests and media.
