The Valkyries - Paulo Coelho

About the book

Why is it that we destroy the things we love most? This is the question Paulo Coelho faces in this touching story about his confrontation with his past. In The Valkyries, Paulo and his wife, Cristina, embark on a forty-day quest into the starkly beautiful and sometimes dangerous Mojave Desert, where they encounter the Valkyries, strange warrior women who travel the desert on motorcycles. A masterful blend of the exotic locales, dramatic adventure, and stark storytelling for which Coelho’s fictional works are renowned, this true-life odyssey is at once a modern-day adventure story and a poignant message about letting go of the past and believing in the future.

About the author

Paulo Coelho

One of the most influential writers of our time, Paulo Coelho is the author of thirty international bestsellers, including The Alchemist, Warrior of the Light, Brida, Veronika Decides to Die, and Eleven Minutes. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Paulo is the recipient of 115 international prizes and awards, among them, the Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur (Legion of Honor). Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947, he soon discovered his vocation for writing. He worked as a director, theater actor, songwriter, and journalist. In 1986, a special meeting led him to make the pilgrimage to Saint James Compostela (in Spain). The Road to Santiago was not only a common pilgrimage but a turning point in his existence. A year later, he wrote The Pilgrimage, an autobiographical novel that is considered the beginning of his literary career. He lives in Geneva, Switzerland.