Author Jennifer Barclay has called the Dodecanese island of Tilos her home for the past 10 years. It was the base from which she spent more than four years exploring the Dodecanese with a pack on her back and her dog Lisa for a companion.

The result has been her new book Wild Abandon: A Journey to the Deserted Places of the Dodecanese which was published in May as an e-book and came out in book form on 1 September. It is the third book that the English-born author has written of her Greek travels. Falling in Honey and An Octopus in my Ouzo being the other two books.

“In a series of travels in the islands where I live, I have followed my passion for the beautiful things left behind on the landscape in the last hundred years or so, when many thousands of people left for cities in Europe and the New World” said Ms Barclay.

“It is a search in the wildest and most deserted places for lost ways of life and lost knowledge, for the old crafts that lasted for generations and were harmonious with nature. It also became a search for old ways that remain, and for the people who stayed or came back and enjoy the peace and tranquillity.”

Being a resident of Tilos and having Lisa for a companion helped to break the ice with the islanders and the book is an intimate reflection of lives lived far removed from the concerns of the modern world.

Ms Barclay reflects on the dwindling populations of the island group with many having gone to live in Australia and the USA.

The book not only looks at the hidden life of the islands but also examines the effects of tourism and conservation. She notes how many of the original islanders have moved away to seek their fortunes in the New World while people from the cities have come to the islands to seek refuge from the ravages of modern life.

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Wild Abandon is also a about “finding the equilibrium in the joy of walking, the love of exploration and discovery,” said Ms Barclay.

There is also a reflection on travelling with a dog. Lisa helped “break the ice with strangers, often suggesting a different footpath.” Ms Barclay also offers tips on travelling with a dog.

The book has received wide praise from Greek and international media for its multi-faceted reflection on the islands, their people and their complex history.

Wild Abandon: A Journey to the Deserted Places of the Dodecanese by Jennifer Barclay is published by Brant Guides and will be available in Australian bookshops in the coming months.

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