Paulo Coelho's novel The Zahir is about a renowned author who writes about spirituality and once went on a pilgrimage along the road to Santiago. On a return visit, he is suddenly abandoned by his wife, who leaves no trace of herself behind. As the story unfolds the author becomes obsessed with understanding the reason for her desertion. Was she kidnapped, blackmailed, or simply bored with their marriage? His search for her - and for the truth of his own life - takes him from South America to Spain, France, Croatia and, eventually, the bleakly beautiful landscape of Central Asia. More than that, it leads him into a new understanding of the nature of love, the power of destiny and what it really means to follow your heart. ?Suffering occurs when we want other people to love us in the way we imagine we want to be loved, and not in the way that love should manifest itself - free and untrammelled, guiding us with its force and driving us on.'
368pp, 128mm x 197mm, Paperback, 2006