What drives a person in our time to give up their job and exchange their comfortable life for a hermit's existence? Belgian writer Freddy Derwahl has journeyed from the Ardennes to Mount Athos and into the inner desert of Egypt to explore the lives of these "mad" and eccentric individuals, sharing their incredible life stories. The Trappist monk, writer, and mystic Thomas Merton is just the most well-known among them. However, Derwahl is not interested in superficial sensationalism. He sensitively delves into the mystery and spiritual profile of these unusual contemporaries.