Why is it that we destroy the things we love most? This is the question Paulo Coelho, the author of The Alchemist, faces in this story of his confrontation with his past. The Valkyries is a compelling account of his journey, as Paulo and his wife embark on a forty-day quest into the searing heat of the Mojave Desert, where they encounter the Valkyries, strange warrior women who travel the desert on motorcycles.