A Circle Outside

Eye Books Store Verified independent store

→

A comedy of manners set in a commune of lesbian witches ‘A unique comic and feminist voice’ The Write Club It’s the early 1980s, and a household of lesbian feminists establish a wo men-only commune in an ancient Californian redwood forest. It seems a perfect place to practise the ritual magic that helps them function harmoniously as a group – even if they aren’t all true believers. By getting back to the land, they can also live more as nature intended and give the finger to the Patriarchy. That doesn’t stop jealousies arising, as Wren, an artist, nurses an unrequited crush on Robin, the land’s extraordinarily generous owner. Further conflict brews as Gloria, the manipulative leader of the group, disagrees with Robin about her own rule: no men on the land. Warm, funny and harking unashamedly back to a less toxic era, A Circle Outside is a seductive vision of a utopian dream, where the only real magic is self-transformation. ‘A captivating debut novel. It’s got such a unique comic and feminist voice and we absolutely adored it’ The Write Club ‘It’s a brilliant book and everybody should buy it’ Kathleen Stock, The Lesbian Project ‘An authentic book that leads us back to a more innocent and idealistic era’ Gaia Media ‘A stylish and entertaining debut in which a coven of lesbians use every means at their disposal to preserve their women-only paradise. Funny, full of heart but also wise in its resistance to easy conclusions’ Polly Clark, author of Ocean Paperback: 416pp Published: Lightning (August 2025) ISBN: 9781785634284 Show more