The Interior Silence

10 Lessons from Monastic Life

By: Sarah Sands

Write A Review

Paperback | 14 June 2022 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
256 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.5 x 12.9 x 19.8

Paperback

RRP $22.99

$22.90

or 4 interest-free payments of $5.72 with

Aims to ship in 5 to 10 business days

Suffering from information overload, unable to sleep, Sarah Sands, former editor of the BBC's Today programme, has tried many different strategies to de-stress... only to reject them because, as she says, all too often they threaten to become an exercise in self-absorption.

Inspired by the ruins of an ancient Cistercian abbey at the bottom of her Norfolk garden, she begins to research the lives of the monks who once resided there, and realises how much we may have to learn from monasticism.

Renouncing the world, monks and nuns have acquired a hidden knowledge of how to live: they labour, they learn and they acquire 'the interior silence'. This book is a quest for that hidden knowledge - a pilgrimage to ten monasteries round the world.

From a Coptic desert community in Egypt to a retreat in the Japanese mountains, we follow Sands as she identifies the common characteristics of monastic life and the wisdoms to be learned from them; and as she discovers, behind the cloistered walls, a clarity of mind and an unexpected capacity for solitude which enable her, after years of insomnia, to experience that elusive, dreamless sleep.

About the Author

Sarah Sands is is a journalist and author. A former editor of the London Evening Standard, she was editor of the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 from 2017 to September 2020.

Industry Reviews

This book shows that tranquillity of spirit is worth searching for. - John Humphreys

Sarah Sands has written about stillness with an eloquence that fizzes with vitality and wit. This wonderful book charts a journey to some of the most beautiful and tranquil places on earth, and introduces us to people whose inner peace is a balm for our troubled times. I loved every page of it. - Nicholas Hytner

This is a book which goes beyond history to the needs of human nature. It is a balm for our times. - Elizabeth Adenkule, Archdeacon of Hackney

A fascinating journey, from the cauldron of news to the peace of monasteries. - Alice Thomson

In tumultuous times, monasteries are the ideal place for believers and non-believers alike to seek peace and reflection. Sarah Sands is the perfect guide to these sites of solace, a Patrick Leigh Fermour for the soul. - Matt d'Ancona

I loved the mix of far-off destinations and the spiritual journey. This is a brilliant book for our times - Melanie Mcdonagh

A beautifully written, self-deprecating, self-doubting, and fortunately timed book - Catholic Herald

Monks build in beautiful places and Sands writes beautifully about them, with the startled senses of one opening a window on the first morning. - The Oldie

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.