From the abbeys in northern France to the imposing monasteries perched on the rocks of Cappadocia, Patrick Leigh Fermor describes the austere contemplative lives of the monks and the timeless beauty of their monastic surroundings. In his occasional retreats from the world, the acclaimed travel writer effortlessly captures the serene solitude and allure of the monasteries as an unexpected supernatural blessing.

WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE BOOK

Delightful… A marvelous travel book and a brilliant exploration of humanity. New Statesman

Introspection, history, and reporting find their place in this balanced and clear book. The Sunday Times

An exceptionally successful attempt to describe the reactions of a worldly man (in the liberal sense) when faced with monastic life. The Daily Telegraph

If Fermor's greatest travel books are baroque cathedrals, splendidly and heavily adorned with all sorts of information and descriptions, Time to be Quiet, as befits its title and theme, is a more modest yet intricate chapel, where Fermor invites us to listen to the silence of monastic life. Michalis Makropoulos