Among the family-focused books published around 2000, this essay presents the findings of research into communities formed by families who share space, time, and material resources—bound not by blood but by intentional choice. Though still relatively rare and varied in their practice, these experiments offer a window onto an alternative way of meeting the challenges and contradictions that modern life so often imposes.
Mancini examines several dimensions of family communities: how they support family life; what educational goals they pursue and how those goals are lived out; how they function as a genuine social resource for society at large. She pays particular attention to the formative experiences within these communities: the educational gains that come from constructive dialogue between adults—both for the parents engaged in it and for the children who witness it—the development of social bonds, the constant stimulus to live with openness, hospitality, and empathy. She does not shy away from the real difficulties these lifestyle choices demand, nor from the risks of retreating into "happy islands" or losing sight of family members' need for privacy and personal space.
This is an engaging, accessible, and clearly written book—not only because of its subject matter but because of the author's fluid prose. A valuable read for anyone curious about ways of living far removed from our ordinary experience.
- C.T., 2003