Book Review: Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

I decided to read this book after hearing it reviewed by Graeme Le Saux on Radio 4.  It certainly is an inspiring read.  The story is based around a hospital for sufferers of mental illness and the main character’s story is that after an attempt at suicide, she is told her heart is irrepairably damaged and doesn’t have long to live.  This news takes Veronika on a path where she learns to love life more than she ever has before.  One very memorable piece of the story for me was where a patient of the hospital talks to a doctor and says “Where is my soul?”, she then talks about her soul being in the past with her husband and family, and that it’s also with her job where she hasn’t the courage to quit and find something better…

All in all the story is short, very well written, and caused me to take a look at a few aspects I hadn’t thought to look at before.  Very good, thoroughly enjoyable.

My marks for this book would be 4 out of 5.