Paul Coelho...

I am simply amazed by how Paul Coelho writes about the mystery of life... I have finished 2 of his books, namely: (1) Veronika Decides to Die and (2) By River Piedra I Sat Down & Wept... I shall let the sypnosis do the talking... =)


Veronika Decides to Die

Twenty-four-year-old Veronika seems to have everything — youth and beauty, boyfriends and a loving family, a fulfilling job. But something is missing in her life. So, one cold November morning, she takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up. But she does — at a mental hospital where she is told that she has only days to live.

Inspired by events in Coelho's own life, Veronika Decides to Die questions the meaning of madness and celebrates individuals who do not fit into patterns society considers to be normal. Bold and illuminating, it is a dazzling portrait of a young woman at the crossroads of despair and liberation, and a poetic, exuberant appreciation of each day as a renewed opportunity.

By River Piedra I Sat Down & Wept

[A Fable About Opening Your Heart to Miracles]

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept tells of Pilar, a frustrated scholar looking for some greater meaning in the endless cycle of her days. When a childhood friend contacts her, she is surprised to learn that her former playmate is now a charismatic spiritual leader, someone revered as a miracle worker. She is even more astonished when he reveals that Pilar has always been his great love.

Confused by this sudden opportunity for a new chance at life, Pilar gradually comes to realise that the man she loves is being called upon to choose between her and his spiritual calling. As the suffering lovers travel through sacred sites in the French Pyrenees, the difficult choice they face offers a startling revelation about the divine and the redemptive power of love. Full of warmth and wisdom, joy and unexpected sorrow, their story is a magical celebration of the endless possibilities that life has to offer, and a fable about opening your heart to miracles.

A poetic story that reflects the depth of love and life

Rarely does an adolescent love reach its full potential. What happens when, after eleven years, two lovers come together again? Pilar has become an independent and strong woman. Her childhood friend has become a handsome spiritual leader. She has learned to bury her feelings, while he has turned to religion as a refuge from his inner conflicts.

Together they embark on a journey that is initially fraught with difficulties, as blame and resentment resurface after years of being hidden. But by the River Piedra, in a small village in the French Pyrenees, they discuss many of life's big questions ad reevaluate their own special relationship.

After 11 years, two people who once loved each other come together again to embark on a journey that is initially fraught with difficulties, as blame and resentment resurface after years of blame and resentment resurface after years of being hidden. But by the River Piedra, in a small village in the French Pyrenees, they discuss many of life's big questions and re-evaluate their own special relationship in this poetic and transcendent story that reflects the mysteries of love and life.