Alchemist

The Alchemist is a novel by Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho that tells the story of a young shepherd named Santiago who dreams of a treasure hidden in the Egyptian pyramids. The book follows Santiago's journey as he sets out to pursue this treasure, encountering a series of obstacles and learning valuable lessons along the way. Santiago meets various characters who guide him on his journey, including an alchemist who teaches him the secrets of the universe.The novel explores themes of destiny, personal legend, and the power of following one's dreams. 

First published in Portuguese by a small press in Brazil, the first print run of the Alchemist was 900 copies and did not sell out. After a year the publisher returned the rights to Coelho. Believing in his own destiny as a writer and the message of following your dreams portrayed in the book, Coehlo continued to search for publishing opportunities, and in 1993 HarperCollins published the first English translation of the book. It quickly became a best-seller, and since that publication The Alchemist has sold over 65 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 80 languages, making it one of the bestselling books in history.