A modern fable of sex and love from the author whose ′books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people′ The Times

Maria is a beautiful dreamer from a small Brazilian town who pursues her dreams to Rio before being lured to Geneva by a Swiss businessman who promises her fame and fortune.

All that awaits Maria in Geneva, however, is a job at a seedy nightclub, and her dreams disintegrate until she is working the streets as a prostitute. She renounces true love and becomes fascinated with sex, but this is sex without love, sex that gestures towards a dark path. In her diary she writes: "I see that those who touched my heart failed to arouse my body, and those who aroused my body failed to touch my heart".

But when she begins to fall for a handsome young painter, Maria sets out on an odyssey of discovery, not only about sex and romance, but also about herself, her beliefs, and true meaning of love.

What they said:

′Has a strange and potent chemistry of its own.′ Observer

′Coelho has a deceptively simple but elegant writing style which sits well with this strange but gripping tale.′ Glasgow Evening Times

′A simply-told fable for our times, highlighting the quest for personal spiritual enlightenment.′ Belfast Telegraph

Starting points:

Discuss the differences between sex and love touched upon in the book.

Can sex be sacred? Can it have a spiritual aspect?

What issues surrounding prostitution and power relationships between men and women are raised in the book?

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About the author:

Paulo Coelho is one of the most beloved and successful storytellers of our time. His books have won numerous awards, sold more than 43 million copies in over 150 countries, been translated into 56 languages, and they remain permanent fixtures on bestseller lists in his native Brazil and worldwide. He lives in Rio de Janeiro with his wife Christina.

Other books by Paulo Coelho:

The Alchemist

The Devil and Miss Prym

The Valkyries

By The River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept

The Fifth Mountain

The Pilgrimage

Veronika Decides to Die

The Manual of the Warrior of Light

About Paulo Coelho