The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho
Publishing Info: 1995, HarperSanFransico
Suggested Reading Level: Grades 9-12

Synopsis:
A young shepherd in Spain is sleeping in the ancient ruins of a church and has a dream that he goes to the pyramids in Egypt and finds treasure. A gypsy interprets the dream and tells him it means exactly what it seems - he will find treasure if he goes to the pyramids in Egypt. The shepherd has always wanted to travel, but, he is also nervous of giving up his living to follow a dream. He then meets an old man who tells him he is the king of Salem. The king knows about the shepherd's dream and tells him he must go look for the treasure because that is his mission in this life, his Personal Legend, and that God will help him to achieve it.

The shepherd sells his sheep and takes a boat to Africa. His money is stolen within hours of his arrival, and the shepherd loses hope in his Personal Legend. He finds a job with a merchant to earn enough money to get back to Spain and buy some sheep. His observations, business sense, and motivation help the merchant's store go from a failure to a huge success. The shepherd earns more money than he needs more quickly than he thought he would. The boy decides if he succeeded as a merchant in a foreign city, he can also succeed in finding his treasure.

He joins a caravan crossing the desert and meets an Englishman who searching for an alchemist who lives at an oasis in the desert to apprentice him. Through associations with the Englishman and the caravan driver, the shepherd boy learns about communicating with the Soul of the World by observing and listening to nature. He learns about watching for omens that show the way to fulfill Personal Legends. The caravan must stop for a time at the Oasis because of tribal wars in the desert. The shepherd meets Fatima and it is love at first sight. He tells her of his Personal Legend and she encourages him to seek it, and that she will wait for him. The shepherd struggles over leaving Fatima or leaving his Personal Legend. As he ponders his predicament he reads an omen that tells of a tribe coming to attack the Oasis. He warns the leaders and the attack is thwarted. The leaders offer him a position as the Counselor for the Oasis, a job that would allow him to stay with Fatima and have a good living.

Then the shepherd boy meets the Alchemist who warns that if he does not follow his Personal Legend through he will regret it.