The traditions of Christian Solitary Life go back at least as far as the Desert Fathers of the early Christian centuries. The Vitae Patrum, compiled by Heribert Rosweyde SJ and printed in Antwerp in 1628, is one of the sources where the Desert Fathers can be studied. There is a translation of some of the books of the Vitae Patrum, available on www.vitae-patrum.org.uk

You might also be interested in Raven's Bread, a quarterly American newsletter for hermits and those interested in the eremitical life. The website is http://www.op.org/ravensbread