Paulo Coelho, one of the worlds best loved storytellers, is back with a riveting new novel set in London. This is the story of Athena, or Sherine, to give her the name she was baptised with. Her life is pieced together through a series of recorded interviews with those people who knew her well or hardly at all - parents, colleagues, teachers, friends, acquaintances, her e Paulo Coelho, one of the worlds best loved storytellers, is back with a riveting new novel set in London. This is the story of Athena, or Sherine, to give her the name she was baptised with. Her life is pieced together through a series of recorded interviews with those people who knew her well or hardly at all - parents, colleagues, teachers, friends, acquaintances, her ex-husband. The novel unravels Athenas mysterious beginnings, via an orphanage in Romania, to a childhood in Beirut. When war breaks out, her adoptive family move with her to London, where a dramatic turn of events occurs Athena, who has been dubbed the Witch of Portobello for her seeming powers of prophecy, disappears dramatically, leaving those who knew her to solve the mystery of her life and abrupt departure. Like The Alchemist, The Witch of Portobello is the kind of story that will transform the way readers think about love, passion, joy and sacrifice. Praise for Paulo Coelho: An exceptional writer. USA Today His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people. Times One of the few to deserve the term Publishing Phenomenon. Independent on Sunday Coelhos writing is beautifully poetic but his message is what countshe gives me hope and puts a smile on my face. Daily Express The Alchemist is a beautiful book about magic, dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find on our doorstep. Madonna Its like music, really, the way he writes, its so beautiful. Its a gift that I envy above all others. Julia Roberts