The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho is a great and mysterious read, with a bit of spiritual drama throughout.
The book begins with the death of the main character, Athena, and is written from the perspective of those who knew her – her adoptive mother, her ex-husband, a journalist , a priest, her landlord, a teacher, a historian and an actress. All the characters provide a different perspective of her, describing what they saw and experienced then adding their own impressions, interpreting her through their own beliefs and fears.
As the book begins, Athena is dead. How she ended up that way keeps the pages turning in the book. Athena grows into a woman in search of answers to many questions that arise within a person. She has a contented life but her mind is not at ease. So she sets out to find answers to the classical question of "Who am I?" through many experiences. In her quest, she opens her heart to intoxicating powers and becomes a controversial spiritual leader in London.
