The Island of Sea Women
A Novel
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4.4 • 1.2K Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A mesmerizing new historical novel” (O, The Oprah Magazine) from Lisa See, the bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, about female friendship and devastating family secrets on a small Korean island.
Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends who come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby divers, they know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility—but also danger.
Despite their love for each other, Mi-ja and Young-sook find it impossible to ignore their differences. The Island of Sea Women takes place over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War, through the era of cell phones and wet suits for the women divers. Throughout this time, the residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point.
“This vivid…thoughtful and empathetic” novel (The New York Times Book Review) illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge and the men take care of the children. “A wonderful ode to a truly singular group of women” (Publishers Weekly), The Island of Sea Women is a “beautiful story…about the endurance of friendship when it’s pushed to its limits, and you…will love it” (Cosmopolitan).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Lisa See’s historical novels give us fascinating glimpses into different Asian cultures, and The Island of Sea Women offers one of her most compelling stories. In the 1930s on the remote Korean island of Jeju, seven-year-olds Young-sook and Mi-ja are drawn into the community of haenyo, or “sea women,” whose diving skills allow them to harvest the ocean’s bounty. Over the decades, their sisterly bond is repeatedly tested as Jeju’s matriarchal culture is buffeted by foreign occupiers and brutal dictators. See’s period detail is fascinating, but her characters’ complex emotions were what kept us transfixed.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
See (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane) once again explores how culture survives and morphs in this story of a real-life Korean female diving collective. Young-Sook and Mi-Ja meet as young girls in 1939 in Hado, a village on the island of Jeju, where traditionally the women earn a living while their husbands care for the children and home. The two girls begin training as haenyeo, divers who harvest oysters, sea slugs, and octopi from the sea. But after WWII when American occupation of southern Korea begins, the two grow apart. While Young-Sook struggles to make ends meet for her family, Mi-Ja's husband's role in the government spares her the economic suffering endured by most of the country. But after Mi-Ja's family betrays Young-Sook, Young-Sook struggles for decades to reconcile her anger with fond memories of her friend, even after their families cross paths again. Jumping between the WWII era and 2008, See perceptively depicts challenges faced by Koreans over the course of the 20th century, particularly homing in on the ways the haenyeo have struggled to maintain their way of life. Exposing the depths of human cruelty and resilience, See's lush tale is a wonderful ode to a truly singular group of women.
Customer Reviews
Tragic Tale
All that remains is hope and love and forgiveness. Caused me to do a little research and a lot of thinking. I guess that’s what good books do— change you, just a bit and stay with you for a while. Worth it.
So sad.
Very good, but the saddest book I’ve ever read.
Nice history
The history and social history of these women are fascinating. Peering in to what it was like during the time when Korea was matriarchal and moving towards male domination and then war, the author captured their pain and suffering. It is average prose.