by Paulo Coelho
First published 2018
Paulo, a skinny young Brazilian with long hair and a goatee, dreams of becoming a writer but feels lost about his purpose. He travels from South America to Amsterdam's Dam Square, where young people in colorful clothes burn incense, meditate, and debate consciousness and sexual freedom. There he encounters Karla, a Dutch woman in her twenties who has been searching for the right travel companion. She persuades Paulo to join her aboard the Magic Bus, following the legendary hippie route through Europe and Central Asia to Kathmandu. Their fellow passengers each carry personal stories and seek their own transformations. As the bus rolls toward Nepal, Paulo and Karla discover an intense connection that challenges everything they thought they wanted. Their relationship becomes a journey of awakening that forces both to confront who they are and what they truly seek. The choices they make together will determine the direction of their lives.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, adventure, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Amsterdam, Dam Square, Europe, Central Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal, South America
Period: 20th-century
287 pages · Hardcover · Knopf