Synopses & Reviews
This is the story of Brida, a young Irish girl, and her quest for knowledge. She has long been interested in various aspects of magic but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom, who begin to teach Brida about the spiritual world. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, who teaches her about overcoming her fears and trusting in the goodness of the world; and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world, and how to pray to the moon. As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch. This enthralling novel incorporates themes that fans of Paulo Coelho will recognize and treasure—it is a tale of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality from the master storyteller.
Synopsis
From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the world, one of his earliest and most popular novels published in English for the first time
Brida is the story of a young woman, Brida O'Fern, and her path through the Wicca pagan tradition. Brida is only 21 years old when she meets a magician and asks to become a witch. The book compares the two classical forms of teaching, the Revelation (Tradition of the Sun) and the ritualistic (Tradition of the Moon). Love is the only way we have to bridge over to the spiritual world. When we love, we want to be better than we already are, and love makes us better.
Brida captures the essence of Paulo Coelho -- thought-provoking spirituality, belief in the beauty of the physical and emotional worlds, and the Divine Feminine.
Synopsis
New York Times Bestseller
"In Brida, my third novel, which I wrote just after The Alchemist, I tell the story of a young woman who dives into sorcery and her experiences with different magical traditions. I explore many themes that are dear to me, such as the Great Mother, pagan religions, and the perceptions of love."
-- Paulo Coelho
This is the spellbinding tale of Brida, a beautiful young Irish woman, and her quest for knowledge. On her journey, she meets a wise man who teaches her about overcoming her fears, and a woman who teaches her ancient rituals. They see in her a gift, but must let Brida make her own voyage of discovery.
About the Author
The Brazilian author Paulo Coelho was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theater director, actor, lyricist, and journalist. Coelho wrote song lyrics for many famous performers in Brazilian music, such as Elis Regina and Rita Lee, yet he is best known for his work with Raul Seixas. Together they wrote such successes as "Eu nasci há dez mil anos atrás" ("I Was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago"), "Gita," and "Al Capone."
His fascination with the spiritual quest dates back to his hippie days, when he travelled the world learning about secret societies, oriental religions, etc. In 1982, Coelho published his first book, Hell Archives, which failed to make any kind of impact. In 1985, he contributed to the Practical Manual of Vampirism, although he later tried to take it off the shelves, since he considered it "of bad quality." In 1986, Paulo Coelho did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage.