By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept: A Novel of Forgiveness

Paulo Coelho’s By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept is a poignant and poetic story that talks about the depth of love and life and includes elements of paganism and female aspect of divinity.

The protagonist of the story is an independent young woman Pilar who is fed up of her university life and is on a quest to find the real meaning of life. Her life takes an unexpectedly interesting turn when she meets her childhood sweetheart after eleven years.

In these eleven years, things have changed drastically. Pilar has become an independent and strong woman and now has learned the art to hide her feelings. On the other hand, her friend has become a charismatic and handsome spiritual leader and a rumored miracle worker.

He has got rid of his inner conflicts and taken refuge in religion.

The story further unfolds as the two lovers take on a journey from the French Pyrenees. The novel has been set in a small village near the River Piedra. Adolescent love rarely reaches its full potential but these two are together again. However, their journey is filled with difficulties, resentment, and demons of blame and they get to reexamine their special bond in the light of some of the biggest questions of life.

Coelho’s By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept again emphasizes that love is not an hindrance to one’s dreams. On the contrary, it is a strong power that urges the lover to find God while conquering their dreams. Coelho’s has used his signature elements this novel including his compelling poetic prose, extraordinary symbolism, ‘follow your dream’ theme, and an air of mysticism.