Book Chat: My Ikaria by Spiri Tsintziras

We have all had those day dreams where we disappear to a remote island and reboot our lives to be happier, healthier and longer. But how achievable can this Instagram-friendly existence be, when making time to simply breathe out seems to take effort some days?

A little over three years ago when scrolling through her social media feed, writer and busy parent, Spiri Tsintziras stumbled upon an article in the New York Times entitled, “The island where people forget to die”.

In that article she learned that residents on the Greek island of Ikaria are 10 times more likely to reach the age of 90 than in most places in Europe. The population of Ikaria is almost entirely free of dementia and have incredibly low rates of depression and suffer fewer chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers that are so prevalent throughout Western communities.

Spiri travelled from her suburban Melbourne home to the homeland of her family, Greece, and on to the tiny island of Ikaria to uncover the secrets to its populous and their enviably healthy and long lives. She then set about making changes in her own life that were simple and practical and these changes led to her losing weight, gaining energy and deepening the connections to those closest to her.

While jumping on a plane and heading to a tiny Greek island may not be the solution for everyone, Spiri’s heartfelt memoir My Ikaria comes a pretty close second to the experience. Her first-person narrative envelops the reader and invites you to taste, smell and breath in the warm Mediterranean air. Her language is lyrical and full of historical detail and at times it feels more like reading a travel guide than a self-help book and that is perhaps the point.

We can’t ever truly escape our lives but we can make our lives better by making conscious choices to eat well, enjoy exercise and fill our lives with people who bring us joy. And the best news of all is that there’s no need to give up bread and wine!

My Ikaria is available for loan at your local library. Reserve a copy online at grlc.vic.gov.au.