Paulo Coelho
HarperCollins
Otago Daily Times, June 16th 2007
Caveat emptor: Despite the disclaimer on the cover, Paulo Coelho’s latest offering is as much a new-age self-help book as a novel.
Told as a series of narratives by those who knew her or knew of her, it traces the life and spiritual development of Athena Kahil, Priestess of Portobello Rd. Born of a Transylvanian gypsy and adopted by a Lebanese family, Athena’s connection with a higher power manifests at a young age when she foresees the civil war that forces her parents to flee Beirut for London. Later, as a young divorcee and single mother she is excommunicated from the Catholic Church and seeks other sources of spiritual connection.
By way of dance, calligraphy, music and stillness, taught by a variety of mentors, she learns how to speak with (and for) the Great Mother and moves from acolyte to teacher in her own right. As Athena’s following increases, so does her notoriety — ultimately precipitating her mysterious and apparently violent death. Although the technique of alternating narrators works well, the plot is served up with lashings of Wiccan lore and philosophy — to the point that Athena becomes a medium for Coelho’s (and the Mother’s) message rather than a character.
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