- 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
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.
The Ikaria Way
Greece Travel Secrets reviews the Greek cookbook, The Ikaria Way by Diane Kochilas, containing 100 delicious plant-based recipes.
Astypalaia in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Astypalaia in the Dodecanese islands of Greece is a largely unspoilt island with good beaches.
Dodecanese
Travel and vacation information about the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes, Symi, Kos, Patmos, Halki, Tilos, Karpathos, Leros, Lipsi, Astipalea.
Great Greek Poets: Cavafy, Sappho, George Seferis, Odysseus Elytis
There are many great Greek poets, with two authors winning the Nobel Prize for Literature and names include Sappho, Cavafy, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis.
Kos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Kos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece has good beaches and night-life, and archaeological remains.
Best Time to Visit Kos
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Kos, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.
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.
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.
Nisyros
Nisyros is a unique volcanic island in the Dodecanese and easily reached on day trips from Kos Town and Kardamena.
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.
Kastellorizo
Travel information on Kastellorizo in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Kasos
Travel information on Kasos in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Karpathos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Karpathos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece is noted for its traditions, its music, and mountain villages like Olympos.
Kalymnos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Kalymnos in Greece in the Dodecanese islands is most famous for its history of sponge fishing, and see here information about flights and ferries.
Halki
Travel information on Halki in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Arki
Arki is a small island in the Dodecanese close to Lipsi, with beaches and tavernas with rooms to rent and ferry connections with Patmos, Samos and Marathi.
Agathonisi in the Dodecanese islands of Greece
Agathonisi is a small island in the Dodecanese with quiet beaches, a few hotels, pensions and rooms to rent.
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.
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.
Latest Posts
-
Kerameikos Ancient Site in Athens Getting New Visitor Facilities
Visitors to the Kerameikos archaeological site in central Athens will soon have new access through an entrance-exit point being developed on Agion Asomaton Street, directly across from Dipylou Street. -
Central Greece Motorway E65 Adding More Kilometers
A new section of the E65 motorway, often referred to as the “backbone road” of Central Greece, was opened to traffic in the second week of July, with 136 kilometers now operational. This road provides… -
AirDNA: Greece’s 3 Cities with Affordable Airbnb Rates
Iceland, Monaco, the UK, Greece, and Spain are Europe’s most expensive countries for short-term rentals, according to analytics experts AirDNA. -
Seaplane Test Flights Connect Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros
Greek seaplane company Hellenic Seaplanes on Friday laid the groundwork for some of the Greek islands that will welcome seaplanes and carried out its first flights between three islands of the Sporade… -
Travel + Leisure: Four Greek Hotels Among Best in the World and Europe
The World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure recently ranked four Greek hotels among the best in the world and Europe, honoring them for their luxurious atmosphere and top-notch hospitality. -
Santorini Cannot Support Even One More Hotel or Airbnb Bed
Santorini is now coping with the repercussions of overtourism generated by cruise ships and day-trippers from Crete and other adjacent islands. -
9 Tasty Stops in the Cyclades for Authentic Flavors
Restaurants, tavernas, and grocery stores that highlight the local flavors of the Cyclades. -
Where to Eat on Symi
Greece Travel Secrets picks where to eat on Symi, down by the harbour or in the upper town, and whether you like fish, meat, vegetarian, traditional or modern. -
Restaurants with Acropolis Views
Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars. -
The Ilisian: Reimagining an Icon of Modern Athens
The former Hilton Athens is being transformed into a multi-faceted destination that aspires to forge exciting new connections between the Greek capital and the rest of the world.
Why not sign up for our Greece Travel Secrets newsletter? Each week 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.
LATEST NEWS
Latest Posts
-
Kerameikos Ancient Site in Athens Getting New Visitor Facilities
Jul 16, 24 08:46 AM
Visitors to the Kerameikos archaeological site in central Athens will soon have new access through an entrance-exit point being developed on Agion Asomaton Street, directly across from Dipylou Street. -
Central Greece Motorway E65 Adding More Kilometers
Jul 16, 24 08:46 AM
A new section of the E65 motorway, often referred to as the “backbone road” of Central Greece, was opened to traffic in the second week of July, with 136 kilometers now operational. This road provides… -
AirDNA: Greece’s 3 Cities with Affordable Airbnb Rates
Jul 15, 24 04:12 AM
Iceland, Monaco, the UK, Greece, and Spain are Europe’s most expensive countries for short-term rentals, according to analytics experts AirDNA. -
Seaplane Test Flights Connect Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros
Jul 15, 24 04:12 AM
Greek seaplane company Hellenic Seaplanes on Friday laid the groundwork for some of the Greek islands that will welcome seaplanes and carried out its first flights between three islands of the Sporade… -
Travel + Leisure: Four Greek Hotels Among Best in the World and Europe
Jul 15, 24 04:12 AM
The World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure recently ranked four Greek hotels among the best in the world and Europe, honoring them for their luxurious atmosphere and top-notch hospitality. -
Santorini Cannot Support Even One More Hotel or Airbnb Bed
Jul 13, 24 04:03 AM
Santorini is now coping with the repercussions of overtourism generated by cruise ships and day-trippers from Crete and other adjacent islands. -
9 Tasty Stops in the Cyclades for Authentic Flavors
Jul 13, 24 04:03 AM
Restaurants, tavernas, and grocery stores that highlight the local flavors of the Cyclades. -
Where to Eat on Symi
Jul 12, 24 11:40 AM
Greece Travel Secrets picks where to eat on Symi, down by the harbour or in the upper town, and whether you like fish, meat, vegetarian, traditional or modern. -
Restaurants with Acropolis Views
Jul 11, 24 12:12 PM
Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, but at no cost to you.
BUY A JOURNAL TO RECORD YOUR OWN GREECE TRAVEL SECRETS!
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
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!
