As the Summer Travel Season Heats Up, Take a Voyage of Self-Discovery with "The Alchemist"

SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As we move further into the summer reading season, HarperOne reminds readers of one of the greatest adventure tales of our time--Paulo Coelho's bestselling and beloved The Alchemist.

Taking readers on an inner voyage of self-discovery and a thrilling journey throughout the world, The Alchemist tells the provocative tale of an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels from his home in Spain to the markets of Tangier to the Egyptian desert, where he has a fateful encounter with the alchemist. Lush and evocative, the story is an eternal testament to the transformative power of our dreams, and the importance of listening to our hearts.

"Summer is a time for light reading, but it's also a time to challenge ourselves, to take a more meaningful pursuit in a book, to discover something about ourselves that has the power to transform our lives," says Mark Tauber, Senior Vice President and Publisher of HarperOne. "Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist does just that--it's a publishing phenomenon because it delivers such a powerful message in such a thrilling story."

In print for more than two decades, Coelho's The Alchemist has enchanted readers and adventurers worldwide, selling over two million copies in English and over twenty-one million copies internationally. Currently on the New York Times bestseller list for its 223rd week, it maintains a position on bestseller lists across the United States and throughout the globe.

The Alchemist is available in trade paperback and eBook formats. In 2010, HarperOne published The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel, a beautiful, illustrated adaptation of the beloved classic.

About the Book
The Alchemist has inspired a devoted following around the world. The story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, tells the tale of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangier and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist. The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and above all, following our dreams.

About the Author
Paulo Coelho is an international bestselling author whose books--The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, The Fifth Mountain, and The Witch of Portobello--have sold more than 100 million copies in 140 countries and have been translated into 55 languages.  He lives in Brazil.

About HarperOne
HarperOne, a division of HarperCollinsPublishers, strives to be the preeminent publisher of the most important books and authors across the full spectrum of spirituality, healthy living, family & relationships, social change, and personal growth literature, adding to the wealth of the world's wisdom by stirring the waters of reflection on the primary questions of life and affecting authentic change.

SOURCE HarperOne