The bestselling novel by the international literary phenomenon Paulo Coelho, author of "The Alchemist."

A chance encounter in Rio leads Maria to Geneva, where she dreams of finding fame and wealth but ends up working the streets as a prostitute. In Geneva, Maria becomes increasingly detached from love while simultaneously developing a fascination with sex.

Ultimately, Maria's desperate view of love is challenged when she meets a handsome young painter. In this odyssey of self-discovery, Maria must choose between the path of darkness, "sexual pleasure for its own sake," or risking everything to find her "inner light" and the possibility of sacred sex, sex within the context of love.

A daring modern parable about the nature of love and sex. Pages: 320, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm.