Brida
Paulo Coelho
Rayo, Harper Collins, 2008

Paulo Coelho was born in 1947 in Brazil, in a middle-class home. At age 7, he attended San Ignacio, a Jesuit school in Rio de Janeiro, which he left because he hated the mandatory nature of religious rituals. Interestingly, that's where he discovered his love of literature and vocation as a writer. He's currently one of the most influential and read authors in the world. He became known with his bestseller The Alchemist, which reached endless success. Ever since, his books have been translated into 62 languages and sold more than 75 million copies.

When you finish Brida, Coelho's latest novel, you get a strange feeling. What is this book about, really? A metaphysical allegory? A magical narration where magicians, fortune-tellers and sorcerers appear and disappear? Or a simple 247-page lesson that's full of mysteries, rites, occultism and mantras?

Brida O'Fern is just a young woman like any other in any city in the world; she's 21, wears faded jeans and T-shirts, and has the same dreams as any youngster her age. Brida has a job, a boyfriend she thinks she loves and a boring life that takes her nowhere. But she's restless, feels she has ambitions to realize—and one day decides to find answers to her questions. That's how she finds El Mago (The Magician), a man whom people love or fear; and Wicca, a tireless sorceress with a strong spirit. They'll help Brida, who's strong and determined, to run thousands of risks, fail and be disappointed—all without stopping her search for Love. As an avid witch's apprentice, she accepts the challenge of seeking her way through a dark night, which is nothing other than the mystical state referred to by San Juan de la Cruz in his poem. Brida will emerge from this unrepeatable experience with a completely different personality, with new energy and a great longing to change everything that surrounds her.

Coelho once again writes a passionate and uncomplicated story so readers can enjoy it. At the same time, we understand that once and for all his goal is to discover his role in the great and explosive racket that this world is.