Sherine Khalil is a girl born in Lebanon out of wedlock, abandoned by her parents and left in an orphanage. There, she was adopted by one of the richest couples in Lebanon, who changed her name from Sherine to Athena.
Athena started studying at an engineering university but left midway, got married to her classmate, and had a child with him. They later divorced. One day, she learned that her biological parents were different from her adoptive ones, sparking a question in her mind: "Who am I?" This quest for her identity changes her life completely. Up to this point, the story seems quite ordinary. However, Athena's journey is much more than just the story of an adopted orphan.
In search of the answer to "Who am I?", Athena embarks on a mysterious journey of self-discovery. She recognizes her true self through dance and learns from her guru that although Athena belongs to the 22nd century, she lives in the 21st century. This time travel leaves a void in her life. She is a passionate girl, yet no matter how fervently she completes a task, she remains unsatisfied. One of her teachers told her that the voids within her keep her restless.
"Who am I?" This was the biggest void in her life, and searching for its answer turned her into a mysterious person. She begins to receive revelations, becomes capable of seeing people's auras, and perceives the spirit within Athena, which she names Hagia Sophia. She believes that when she transforms from Athena to Hagia Sophia, she receives divine guidance, enabling her to identify and treat people's illnesses. This makes her famous to the extent that she appears in newspapers, faces protests from religious groups, and receives death threats. People accuse her of practicing witchcraft and following Satan, although she has no connection with religion. She opens up her soul, Hagia Sophia, and connects it with the soul of the universe, creating a unique energy that makes her seem like the source of supernatural powers. She transfers her mission of self-discovery and love to others.
The ending makes this story remarkable, but I won't spoil it by revealing the conclusion here. Athena's relationship with her son teaches us a lot, especially that a mother is always a mother, whether she is an ordinary woman or a goddess.
Initially, I found this story very boring, with characters that seemed incoherent and a plot that was almost absent. It felt like Paulo had presented a mishmash of his famous books. I found the book so uninteresting that it took me forty-two days to finish. It's not the kind of story that grips the reader. However, I now realize that this story is meant for a specific, determined audience who won't give up on it. The plot becomes clear much later, and the character development is revealed after half the novel.
This isn't a story to be read in one sitting. It demands patience. A reader who rushes through it will never grasp its depth and will deem it worthless. But after spending so many days on it, I conclude that it is a unique and excellent story. It taught me many things, as if I didn't just read a story but took a short course.
The search for self, the true essence and importance of love, channeling one's soul, finding meaning in every ordinary thing, and the necessity of passion and guidance to fulfill one's mission-these are the lessons I learned from this story. I may forget the words and events of this story, but what I learned will stay with me for life.
The sentences are filled with philosophy but in very simple words. Paulo is more than a novelist; he is a philosopher, a mystic, but it's hard for us to accept this because Paulo is a modern philosopher and Sufi. I consider him a Sufi because of his fearless truthfulness.
In Paulo's stories, you will consistently see themes of love, self-discovery, and mission, but each story presents them differently. You should read this story if you have a witch-like nature, and "witch" here is an ideology.
Witch: A woman who cannot be defeated by the world.
