By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept - Hardcover

Coelho, Paulo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062513982 ISBN 13: 9780062513984

Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996

Synopsis

Since his novel "The Alchemist" appeared three years ago, Paulo Coelho has emerged from Latin America to become one of the world's most widely-read authors. With his unique, even magical ability to meld gripping action and powerful spiritual insight, his books have become world favorites, selling more than ten million copies in 47 countries and being translated into 23 languages. "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 realize 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.

About this title

Review:

‘An exceptional writer.' USA TODAY

‘His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people.’ TIMES

‘One of the few to deserve the term Publishing Phenomenon.’ INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

‘Coelho’s writing is beautifully poetic but his message is what counts... he gives me hope and puts a smile on my face.’ DAILY EXPRESS

From the Back Cover:

Pilar is an independent and practical yet restless young woman, frustrated by the daily grind of university life and looking for greater meaning in her existence. Her life is forever transformed by an encounter with a childhood friend, now a mesmerizing and handsome spiritual teacher – and a rumored miracle worker – who leads her on a journey through the French Pyrenees, a magical landscape that has been home to holy visions and miracles through the ages.

On this passionate adventure of the heart and spirit, the two lovers together glimpse the feminine face of God and receive a startling revelation about the divine – that what they have always known as God is actually love, the powerful, essential force that is the very water of life. As they rediscover each other, Pilar and her lover also discover the joyous power at the heart of human experience, and Paulo Coelho, our preeminent weaver of spiritual adventure, once again opens a window onto exhilaration and inspiration for his characters and readers alike.

Since his novel 'The Alchemist' appeared three years ago, Paulo Coelho has emerged as one of the most popular storytellers of our time. The second most widely read Latin American author after Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Coelho conjures magical meldings of gripping action, entrancing settings, passionate characters, and soulful insight – and tells his timeless tales with mystery and spirit that have compelled readers around the world. Now Coelho offers a romantic adventure that teaches two lovers – a woman in search of spiritual sustenance and the maverick seminarian she has loved since childhood – the secrets of life and love and of suffering and healing through spiritual communion.

"The Reconsideration of the feminine, the knowledge of the Other, and our own redemption are principle ideas offered by Paulo Coelho in this exceptional novel."
LAURA ESQUIVEL, author of 'Like Water for Chocolate'

"A wondrous book, full of mystery and light."
OSCAR HIJUELOS, author of 'The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love' and 'Mr. Ives' Christmas'

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0062513982
• ISBN 13: 9780062513984
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240