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. Paulo Coelho sensitively explores the nature of sex and love in his gripping and daring new novel.