This book took me so long to read. I picked up and put it back down for a year. I don’t mean that as a bad thing. The memoir nature of the book made it easy to pick up where I left off.

Salt On Your Tongue is well written and I enjoyed the snippets of sea mythology, legends, tales, and songs. And while I share some of the pregnancy and parenting fears she voices in the book, I had a hard time relating because parenthood is not a journey I’ve taken or even plan to take. It’s so far out of my wheelhouse. ( )

I always love meditations on the sea, and there was not just meditation but also well-researched and beautifully written stories and legends in this book. It’s also a stunning memoir of pregnancy, a testament to the author’s grandmother, and a love song to her daughter. Though there were not as many stories about women as the cover suggested (quite a lot about seafaring men which is fine but not what it says on the tin) the writing itself is gorgeous and lush. A book I will lend to many women in my own life, but also want to have in hardcover forever. ( )

A large proportion of my childhood was spent growing up next to the sea at a tiny place in Sussex called Normans Bay. This shingled beach gave way to sand as the tide went out and I spent many hours there, in, by and on the sea. In a country that is no more than seventy miles from the sea, I am not alone in having that strong affinity to its salty wildness. Charlotte Runcie is one of those who is lured to its calming and yet ever-changing waters. When she loses her beloved grandmother she relies on time spent by the coast as she grieves for her.

That longing becomes more intense as she falls pregnant with her first child and as she considers how the child within is growing in its watery haven. This leads onto exploring other streams, from folklore to wildlife, shipwrecks and saviours, mermaids to the people that rely on the sea for their livelihood. Each discovery leads onto further revelations and fascinations in subjects as diverse as shanties sung by trawlermen and sea glass, a material that once was crystal clear and now holds the memories of a thousand waves.

Runcie has delved back into the classics to bring us watery female icons for each of the seven sections and mixes up sea centred stories, personal anecdotes, and mythology alongside her diary as an expectant mother. The most intense piece of writing in the book was the recollection of her giving birth. I was very impressed, as for a debut quite it is very lyrical with moments of exquisite prose. Looking forward to reading more from her. ( )

An enchanting stream of consciousness about walks by the sea. Totally pragmatic while also original, engaging and a total delight to read. This book is literally a breath of fresh air. ( )