Eleven Minutes

The bestselling novel from international literary phenomenon Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist. A chance meeting in Rio takes Maria to Geneva, where she dreams of finding fame and fortune, yet ends up working the streets as a prostitute. In Geneva, Maria drifts further and further away from love while at the same time developing a fascination with sex. Eventually, Maria’s despairing view of love is put to the test when she meets a handsome young painter. In this odyssey of self-discovery, Maria has to choose between pursuing a path of darkness, ‘sexual pleasure for its own sake’, or risking everything to find her own ‘inner light’ and the possibility of sacred sex, sex in the context of love. A daring modern fable about the nature of love and sex. PRAISE FOR ELEVEN MINUTES
“Has a strange and potent chemistry of its own.” The Observer
“Coelho has a deceptively simple but elegant writing style which sits well with this strange but gripping
tale.” Glasgow Evening Times
“Refreshing and insightful…an uplifting read.” What’s On In London
“A simply-told fable for our times, highlighting the quest for personal spiritual enlightenment.” Belfast
Telegraph
Awarded 4 stars in New Woman magazine review