The Witch of Portobello glorifies differences and criticizes a society and its intolerance, which vanquishes an individual’s freedom.
It is the story of a mysterious woman named Athena, told by the many who knew her well-or hardly at all.
“Athena’s biggest problem was being a twenty-second-century woman living in the twenty-first century, allowing everyone to see her. Did she pay a price? Without a doubt. But she would’ve paid a much higher price if she would’ve repressed her exuberance.”
Paulo Coelho encourages us to defend our roots and beliefs over the will of others and without feeling ashamed about what makes us unique.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION:
2006
PAGES:
320
RIGHTS SOLD:
45 languages
“The Witch of Portobello is an incredibly beautiful read… vast skill.”
- Associates Press
“Spellbinding masterpiece… The magical, lyrical and fascinating
Athena will immediately become literature’s first lady!”
- Publishers Weekly
“Athena–as a character who gives herself completely, who dedicates herself to following her dream–could easily be analysed through a conventional book structure. But I preferred to consider others’ perspectives on her, a person capable of taking risks, with each of their personal judgments shaped by their own circumstances. They all reflect on Athena and her world, and at the same time, they reflect on themselves.”
- Paulo Coelho
Love is not a habit, a commitment, or a debt. Love simply is.
No one places her dreams in the hands of those who might destroy them.
