Publisher's Weekly Review: A Warrior's Life: The Authorized Biography Of Paulo Coelho By Fernando Morais

Paulo Coelho: A Warrior’s Life Fernando Morais. HarperOne $26.99 (458p) ISBN 9780061718885 International bestseller Paulo Coelho has captured the imaginations of millions of readers with his mystical, semi-autobiographical fiction. Despite his success (and a brilliant facility for self-promotion), few readers know anything about Coelho the man. This authorized biography plunges into the details of Coelho’s life, from his perilous birth to his time in asylums to his multifarious spiritual journey to his staggering 25-year writing career. Brazilian journalist, politician and biographer Morais writes with an unapologetic eye, neither judging Coelho nor seeking to justify his actions, smartly presenting the facts for readers’ appraisal. Coelho himself provides a generous level of access and candor, giving readers the feeling that they are getting a privileged view despite the biography’s “authorized” label; what makes Morais’ biography especially revealing is his access to years of Coelho’s diaries, a goldmine for biographer and reader. Fans of Coelho’s work will eagerly tear through this attentive, satisfying biography. (Nov.)