This
inspirational fable by Brazilian author and translator Coelho has been
a runaway bestseller throughout Latin America and seems poised to
achieve the same prominence here. The charming tale of Santiago, a
shepherd boy, who dreams of seeing the world, is compelling in its own
right, but gains resonance through the many lessons Santiago learns
during his adventures. He journeys from Spain to Morocco in search of
worldly success, and eventually to Egypt, where a fateful encounter with
an alchemist brings him at last to self-understanding and spiritual
enlightenment. The story has the comic charm, dramatic tension and
psychological intensity of a fairy tale, but it's full of specific
wisdom as well, about becoming self-empowered, overcoming depression,
and believing in dreams. The cumulative effect is like hearing a
wonderful bedtime story from an inspirational psychiatrist. Comparisons
to The Little Prince are appropriate; this is a sweetly exotic tale for
young and old alike. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.