Brida - Paulo Coelho

It took me all of two days to read this wonderful little book. Written in much the same style as Coelho's famous work, The Alchemist, Brida is a story of love and of discovery. As with all his novels, Coelho wraps this underlying message up in prose and magic.

Brida is the story of a young Irish girl who is searching. Searching for love, for acceptance, searching for answers to her questions on spirituality, searching for magic, and searching for her ever elusive Soul-Mate. Coelho introduces us again, to only a few key characters - Brida, the Magus, Wicca and Lorens. When Brida encounters the Magus of the forest, he accepts her as a student of the Tradition of the Sun, and teaches her how to overcome her fears. However, not immediately satisfied that this is the magic she needs, Brida approaches Wicca who, in turn, teaches her the Tradition of the Moon, and how to dance to the hidden music of the world. With the magical combination of these discoveries, Brida visits parallel worlds and learns more about herself and her faith than she had ever imagined was possible.

I loved this story. I loved the way it was written, and I loved the characters. I felt as though I knew Brida personally by the end of it. I saw myself in her, and her fantastical world resonated with mine. While unbelievable to the majority, Brida's experiences are what I long for.

This novel has an interesting mix of Christianity and Pagan mysteries, all blended in a very Coelho way. It requires an open mind. One that can read between the lines, and look past the poetry to understand the message. Because there is one in there. A beautiful and important one.

"We are responsible for everything that happens in this world. We are warriors of light, and with the strength of our love and of our will we can change our destiny and that of many other people."