This was a short, but fantastic novel that was translated from Portuguese. It centers on the life of a young, Spanish shepherd boy, Santiago, who is looking for meaning in life. The main theme of the book is one’s “Personal Legend”. A personal legend is fulfilling one’s life purpose. Everyone and everything has a Personal Legend, and most people recognize theirs in their youth, but discount or ignore it as they get older. Even though a Personal Legend is a path to happiness, most ignore it to pursue what is expected of them or what is easily at-hand. To quote the book, “Very few follow the path laid out to them-the path to their Personal Legends, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.” People often fear following their dreams, as they get older, they may even forget them. This robs them of happiness.
The book acknowledges that following one’s Personal Legend may not always be easy, “Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.” Early on the young shepherd boy pursues the difficult job of being a shepherd so that he can see the world. He learns much leading his sheep through Spain in search of food and water for his flock, but eventually feels he has reached the end of what shepherding will provide for him. He decides to sell all his sheep for money to travel to the pyramids of Egypt, where he is told he will find great treasure by a king disguised as an old commoner. He leaves Spain and makes it across the Strait of Gibralter. There he is swindled of all his money. He strikes up a deal to work for a crystal merchant where he learns Arabic and the crystal trade. Both Santiago and the merchant benefit greatly from their working together. Santiago finds that his life is becoming comfortable, but he decides to take the money he has earned to continue on to fulfill his Personal Legend. He resumes his course toward Egypt through a most hostile desert where war is being waged. He encounters an Englishman, also a believer in Personal Legend, who teaches him about alchemy. The Englishman, who is not himself an Alchemist, wishes to find one so that he can properly learn all its secrets. Previously, he has gained knowledge of alchemy only from books. While with the Englishman, he also finds a love interest, Fatima, a sort of desert flower in an oasis, and swears to return to take her hand in marriage. She accepts his proposal, despite knowing that Santiago has a dangerous journey ahead and may never return.
In a twist of fate, on his journey through the desert, it is Santiago who encounters the alchemist and gains his guidance. Again Santiago gains and loses his wealth, but eventually finds himself at the pyramids, where a scarab beetle appears to mark the location of his treasure. He digs to the point of exhaustion, whereupon he is robbed once again by passersby recognizing his odd behavior. The robbers spare his life, but one of them reveals that he once had dreams similar to Santiago’s, but he was not foolish enough to cross continents pursuing them. The robber describes a Sycamore tree in Spain where a treasure is supposed to be buried. Santiago recognizes the location as one he had brought his sheep to early in the story. He journeys back to Spain and finds the treasure and resolves to return to Fatima with it.