A Circle Outside

A funny, nostalgic and gently subversive novel about utopian feminism set in a commune of lesbian witches in 1980s California, capturing the spirit of a time and place where hippie paganism and psychedelic experimentation were all the rage.

A comedy of manners set in a commune of lesbian witches‘Funny and full of heart but also wise’ – Polly Clark It’s the early 1980s, and a coven of eight women establish a lesbian commune in a Californian redwood forest. It seems a perfect place to practise the ritual magic that helps them function harmoniously as a group. By getting back to the land, the witches can also live more authentically and give the finger to the Patriarchy. That doesn’t stop jealousies arising, as artist Wren nurses an unrequited crush on Robin, the land’s ultra-generous owner. Robin claims to have had thousands of lovers in countless past lives, but in this one she is mainly interested in Kelsey, the household’s cook. Meanwhile the masculine energy of a diesel-spewing tractor causes conflict, and manipulative Gloria, the spiritual leader of the coven, has an agenda of her own. Will the blessings of the Goddess be enough to ensure the group’s survival?Warm, funny and harking unashamedly back to a more idealistic era, A Circle Outside is a seductive vision of a utopian dream, where the real magic is self-transformation.