Wilderness
A Novel of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

Discover the extraordinary period of Christian history when thousands fled to the Egyptian desert and changed the faith forever.

Between 270 and 450 CE, something unprecedented happened in Christianity. As the faith transitioned from persecuted minority to imperial religion, thousands of believers made a radical choice: they walked into the desert. Not fleeing persecution, but fleeing comfort. Not seeking death, but seeking a different kind of life entirely.

This novel brings to vivid life the Desert Fathers and Mothers—those extreme athletes of the spirit whose experiments in solitude, community, and devotion would establish monasticism and reshape Christianity across the centuries. Through interwoven narratives, you'll experience:

Anthony the Great, who spent twenty years sealed in a tomb and emerged radiant, becoming the father of all hermits. Syncletica of Alexandria, the aristocrat who lived in her family's tomb and became a theological force despite society's attempts to silence her. Simeon Stylites, who stood on a pillar for thirty-six years, converting thousands simply by refusing to come down. Mary of Egypt, whose transformation from prostitute to desert saint became legend. Pachomius, the former soldier who created the first monastic communities and proved holiness could be organized without being diminished.

But this isn't just about the famous names. You'll meet the pigeon-keeper whose birds carried messages that reshaped an empire. The merchant who discovered that giving everything away was the only way to possess anything.