- HOME
- Greece Book Reviews
- Mermaid Singing: Kalymnos
Mermaid Singing:
Kalymnos Travel Writing
Mermaid Singing by Charmian Clift is a fine example of 1950s travel writing about the Greek island of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese.
In 1954 the Australian writers Charmian Clift and her husband George Johnston left London with their two young children to go and live on the Greek island of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese. They both wrote individually, but also wanted to collaborate on a novel, and live cheaply on Kalymnos while they did so.
The Sponge Divers
The novel that the couple wrote was published in 1955 as The Sea and the Stone, to be republished the following year as The Sponge Divers. Kalymnos has been famous for its sponge divers since ancient times, and it was this industry that made Kalymnos one of the richest islands in the Dodecanese.
However, it is clear from Mermaid Singing, the non-fiction book that Clift wrote herself about the family’s time on Kalymnos, that it wasn’t the sponge divers themselves who were made wealthy, but the sponge traders. It was a tough life, honestly portrayed in Mermaid Singing. The divers would leave Kalymnos in the spring every year and be away from their families for about seven months, frequently travelling as far as North Africa. Not all of them would return, as sponge diving can be a deadly business.
One of the most vivid episodes in the book is about the annual departure of the sponge divers, and the celebrations and lamentations of the men, and their families and friends. By the time the departure happens, the author and her own family have been on Kalymnos for several months, and befriended many of the sponge divers, getting to know them and their families.
This isn’t something that everyone does, as a part of Kalymniot society looks down on the sponge divers as ruffians and drunkards. This is true in part for many of them, but there’s much more to their lives, and personalities, than that.
Life on Kalymnos
There’s also much more to the book than the lives of the sponge divers. There’s the question of how their two young children, Martin aged seven, and his sister Shane, who is 14 months younger, would adapt to the switch from living in central London to a Greek island. Kalymnos back in the 1950s wasn’t the tourist paradise that it is today. Tourists were few and far between. Facilities were basic. The whole family gets followed in the street by curious children, and occasionally adults, wondering who these fair-skinned people are.
The children adapt remarkably quickly, as children often do, and are soon attending the village school where no English is spoken and speaking Greek better than their parents. They’re quickly roaming the island with their new Greek friends, with more freedom than they ever had in London.
In one section the author goes looking for Shane, to tell
her daughter that her lunch is ready. She goes from home to home, following the
trail of where Shane was last seen before she headed for somewhere else. When
she eventually finds Shane, the daughter insists that she’s had her lunch – she’d
already been fed at several of the Greek families she’s visited. Many of the
friends the family makes on Kalymnos live in what we would regard as abject
poverty, yet they have that remarkable generosity that is common in Greece.
Seeking Solitude
The book is beautifully written, with evocative descriptions of the landscapes, the customs, the food and drink, and most of all, the people. There are characters on every page.
There are insights too, about Greek life. One is the
complete incomprehension of someone’s desire for solitude. Sometimes the author
and her husband, when the children are at a party or otherwise occupied, try to
escape on walks around the island, to enjoy its peace and beauty. They seldom
succeed. Friends and children insist on accompanying them, despite their
protestations. The author explains that the Greeks grow up communally, both
within their immediate families and their extended families. Indeed, some of
the families they get to know will have ten people living and sleeping in one
room.
Kalymnos Today
Anyone visiting Kalymnos today should read this book, as it is fascinating in many different ways. You can compare life in the 1950s with what you see when you walk around the island now. The author is very specific in describing where the places in the book are – where they live in the main town, where friends live, the shops, the harbour, the walks they do, the other towns and villages they visit, and feasts and parties they attend, and so on. It’s not a guidebook but a fine piece of travel writing about Kalymnos. You’ll learn much more than any guidebook can reveal.
Buying Mermaid Singing
Mermaid Singing, and its companion volume by the same author, Peel Me a Lotus, have been republished by Muswell Press. You can buy Mermaid Singing here, or from Amazon and other major retailers.
Other Greece book reviews
A-Z Guide to Santorini
The very thorough A-Z Guide to Santorini by Tony Oswin is now in its 15th edition, a sure sign that the guidebook is both popular and kept up-to-date.
Kasos
Travel information on Kasos in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Heaven on Earth
Heaven on Earth is a collection of 19 travel pieces about Greece by Mike Gerrard.
Books About Greece
If planning a trip to Greece, what are the best books about Greece to read before you go, or to take with you, to give you a sense of place?
A Thing of Beauty
A Thing of Beauty by Peter Fiennes describes ‘Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece’ and places the Greek Gods in the context of modern-day Greece.
Greece Book Reviews
Greece Book Reviews on the Greece Travel Secrets website with reviews of the best guidebooks to Greece, the Greek Islands, Athens, Crete and elsewhere.
Taverna by the Sea
Taverna by the Sea is an account by Jennifer Barclay of her summer spent working in a taverna on Karpathos and a welcome new book of Greek travel writing.
Symi in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Symi (or Simi) is a small island in the Dodecanese near Rhodes with regular ferry connections, hotels, rooms to rent, beaches, tavernas.
Dodecanese
Travel and vacation information about the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes, Symi, Kos, Patmos, Halki, Tilos, Karpathos, Leros, Lipsi, Astipalea.
Wild Abandon
Wild Abandon by Jennifer Barclay and published by Bradt Guides is A Journey to Deserted Places of the Dodecanese islands in Greece, including Rhodes and Kos.
Tilos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Tilos is a small island in the Dodecanese between Rhodes and Kos with regular ferry connections, hotels, rooms to rent, beaches, tavernas and ancient remains.
The Summer of My Greek Taverna
The Summer of My Greek Taverna by Tom Stone is a memoir of his time on the Greek island of Patmos in the Dodecanese, running a restaurant.
Patmos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Patmos in the Dodecanese islands is famous for the monasteries of St John and the Apocalypse and on this page you can also read about flights and ferries
Our Feast Day on Astipalia
Greece Travel Secrets helps celebrate a feast day on Astipalia in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece, for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven.
Northern Greece Guide
The Bradt Guide to Northern Greece is a detailed guide to Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, Macedonia, Thrace, The Pelion, The Sporades and the rest of Northern Greece.
Nisyros
Nisyros is a unique volcanic island in the Dodecanese and easily reached on day trips from Kos Town and Kardamena.
Monemvasia Book Review
Greece Travel Secrets reviews the photography book Monemvasia with extracts from works by Yiannis Ritsos and Nikos Kazantzakis.
Margarita’s Olive Press
Margarita’s Olive Press is a modern gem of a book of Greek travel writing, in which the author falls in love with and renovates a property on Zakynthos.
Lonely Planet Greek Islands
The Lonely Planet guide to the Greek Islands is a thorough and helpful guide to all the Greek island groups, with Athens included.
Lonely Planet Greece
The latest edition of the Lonely Planet travel guide to Greece is a comprehensive 750-page guidebook to the whole country.
Lonely Planet Crete
Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.
Lipsi
Travel information on Lipsi in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Leros in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Leros is a sizeable island in the Dodecanese with flights from Athens, ferries from Rhodes and Piraeus, good beaches, restaurants and hotels.
Kos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Kos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece has good beaches and night-life, and archaeological remains.
Latest Posts
-
Athens Airport: New Curbside Pick-up Rules Take Effect June 7
In efforts to improve the passenger drop-off and pick-up experience and in view of the expected increase in international traveler arrivals, Athens International Airport (AIA) announced that it would… -
Study Reveals the Tourist ‘Types’ that Pick Thessaloniki for Holidays
Art lovers, active types and foodies are among the ‘travel tribes’ that select Thessaloniki, as their holiday destination, found a visitor profile study released this week by the Thessaloniki Hotels A… -
Greece to Protect Historic Athens Cinemas Ideal and Astor
The Greek Environment Ministry’s Central Council of Architecture (KESA) has decided to protect Athens’ Astor and Ideal cinemas designating the two historic landmarks as cultural monuments, said the Gr… -
Thessaloniki Metro Almost Ready, Greek PM on First Test Run
Thessaloniki’s highly anticipated metro, to serve almost 250,000 commuters a day once completed, is almost ready with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis taking a test ride this week. Mitsota… -
Thessaloniki Food, Nightlife Winning Over More Tourists
The nightlife and food are two of Thessaloniki’s strong points attracting more visitors to the northern port city, found a satisfaction study released this week by the Thessaloniki Hotels Association… -
Air Passenger Traffic to Greece Continues to Mark Sharp Rise
Passenger arrivals across all airports in Greece marked a sharp increase in the first four months of the year up by 7.4 percent compared to pre-Covid 2019 and by 38.4 percent over the same period in 2… -
Greece Among Top Choices of British easyJet Flyers this Summer
British holidaymakers flying on easyJet are picking Greece this year, according to a poll conducted by the budget carrier. More specifically, according to the survey carried out on 2,000 British adult… -
Uber Launches On-demand Boat Service on Mykonos Island, Greece
Ride-hailing company Uber recently announced that it will launch a new seasonal private charter boat service on the Greek island of Mykonos. Available from mid-June to October, “Boat” will be an on-de… -
Mykonos Tops Airbnb’s Most Searched Int’l Destinations by US Travelers in Q1
The Greek island of Mykonos is the top most searched for international destination by US travelers seeking Airbnb accommodation in the first quarter of the year, according to the Airbnb 2023 Summer re… -
Greece’s Regional Airports Outdo Pre-Covid 2019 Traffic Levels in April
Greece’s 14 regional airports exceeded pre-Covid 2019 levels last month handling a total of 1.6 million passengers, said managing company Fraport Greece. More specifically, according to Fraport data…
Why not join our Greece Travel Secrets Club? As a member you'll get emailed our regular Greece Travel Secrets Magazine for news, information, and inspiration for planning your travels in Greece.
As a welcome gift you'll also get a free e-book, Heaven on Earth. This contains 19 of Mike's favourite stories that he's written about travelling in Greece for newspapers and magazines over the years.
You'll find it over at Substack. Check out one of the Archive issues to find the Subscribe button.
CHECK OUT THESE COOL SANTORINI SANDALS!
BUY A JOURNAL TO RECORD YOUR OWN GREECE TRAVEL SECRETS!
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
Best Greece Guide
Of all the many guides to Greece we've seen, this is the one we recommend as best of all:
Greece Travel Inspiration
Buy our book of inspirational travel stories from our travels in Greece over the years.
Take a Look at Our Corfu Guide
FTC Disclosure : If you make a purchase via a link on this site, we may receive a small commission on the transaction - at no added cost to you. Thank you!
Latest Posts
-
Athens Airport: New Curbside Pick-up Rules Take Effect June 7
May 22, 23 10:19 AM
In efforts to improve the passenger drop-off and pick-up experience and in view of the expected increase in international traveler arrivals, Athens International Airport (AIA) announced that it would… -
Study Reveals the Tourist ‘Types’ that Pick Thessaloniki for Holidays
May 22, 23 10:19 AM
Art lovers, active types and foodies are among the ‘travel tribes’ that select Thessaloniki, as their holiday destination, found a visitor profile study released this week by the Thessaloniki Hotels A… -
Greece to Protect Historic Athens Cinemas Ideal and Astor
May 22, 23 10:19 AM
The Greek Environment Ministry’s Central Council of Architecture (KESA) has decided to protect Athens’ Astor and Ideal cinemas designating the two historic landmarks as cultural monuments, said the Gr… -
Thessaloniki Metro Almost Ready, Greek PM on First Test Run
May 22, 23 10:19 AM
Thessaloniki’s highly anticipated metro, to serve almost 250,000 commuters a day once completed, is almost ready with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis taking a test ride this week. Mitsota… -
Thessaloniki Food, Nightlife Winning Over More Tourists
May 19, 23 11:36 AM
The nightlife and food are two of Thessaloniki’s strong points attracting more visitors to the northern port city, found a satisfaction study released this week by the Thessaloniki Hotels Association… -
Air Passenger Traffic to Greece Continues to Mark Sharp Rise
May 19, 23 11:36 AM
Passenger arrivals across all airports in Greece marked a sharp increase in the first four months of the year up by 7.4 percent compared to pre-Covid 2019 and by 38.4 percent over the same period in 2… -
Greece Among Top Choices of British easyJet Flyers this Summer
May 19, 23 11:36 AM
British holidaymakers flying on easyJet are picking Greece this year, according to a poll conducted by the budget carrier. More specifically, according to the survey carried out on 2,000 British adult… -
Uber Launches On-demand Boat Service on Mykonos Island, Greece
May 19, 23 11:36 AM
Ride-hailing company Uber recently announced that it will launch a new seasonal private charter boat service on the Greek island of Mykonos. Available from mid-June to October, “Boat” will be an on-de… -
Mykonos Tops Airbnb’s Most Searched Int’l Destinations by US Travelers in Q1
May 18, 23 10:58 AM
The Greek island of Mykonos is the top most searched for international destination by US travelers seeking Airbnb accommodation in the first quarter of the year, according to the Airbnb 2023 Summer re…
No words or images to be used without prior permission.
We do not sell personal information: see our Privacy Policy.
California Consumer Privacy Act - CCPA: Sale Of Personal Information
Greece Travel Secrets does not sell any information it gathers for any reason. It has not collected or sold any personal information in the last twelve months or ever in the past.
This website was built using Site Build It!
