There’s something intriguing about communal living, maybe because the idea of sharing intimate space with strangers is so different from the nuclear family set-up most of us have.
A Place Of Refuge offers a window on a community – Windsor Hill Wood in Somerset – founded by writer Tobias Jones and his wife as a sanctuary for people going through a crisis in their lives.
Their guests include people with addictions, eating disorders and mental health problems, as well as those just having difficulty fitting into society.
We follow the journey as Windsor Hill Wood evolves from an idealistic venture into something more focused and aware of its limitations.
Like the community itself, this book unfolds gradually and despite the guests’ emotional storms, there’s no great drama here. Rather, it’s a gentle meditation on a brave venture that leaves the reader uplifted and even a little enlightened.
