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A review by halkid2
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
One of my favorite aspects of reading historical fiction is picking up a novel about a place, time, and society I know nothing of and then becoming totally immersed. That’s my reaction to THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN, a 2020 book that seems to be getting a lot of attention. (And now I understand why there were so many holds at the library on a four year old book.)
It’s a novel about deep human themes like anger and forgiveness, love and loss, and the enduring strength of a matriarchal society on the small island of Jeju, off the southern coast of Korea.
The book spans the 70 years between 1938, when Japan occupied Korea, to 2008, — focusing on the relationship between two friends across the decades. Mi-ja and Young-sook meet as children. As close as sisters, they weather all kinds of hardship including World War II, the Korean War, the 4.3 Incident and the loss of many of the traditional ways of Korean life they respect and honor. Along the way readers discover the country’s internal struggle for independence, a not very flattering picture of post World War II United States control of South Korea, and the mysteries of the revered but outlawed practices of Shamanism.
Both Mi-ja and Young-sook are also members of an elite group known as haenyeo, revered women divers who risk danger and extreme cold to free dive for octopus, sea urchin, and abalone. Exploring their closeness, training, and skill behind this group was a revelation. It’s a story with lots of drama.
Lisa See’s deep and thorough research (detailed in the end Acknowledgments) is skillfully woven throughout the novel. And I found THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN held together well despite the disparate topics and events covered. Highly recommended.
It’s a novel about deep human themes like anger and forgiveness, love and loss, and the enduring strength of a matriarchal society on the small island of Jeju, off the southern coast of Korea.
The book spans the 70 years between 1938, when Japan occupied Korea, to 2008, — focusing on the relationship between two friends across the decades. Mi-ja and Young-sook meet as children. As close as sisters, they weather all kinds of hardship including World War II, the Korean War, the 4.3 Incident and the loss of many of the traditional ways of Korean life they respect and honor. Along the way readers discover the country’s internal struggle for independence, a not very flattering picture of post World War II United States control of South Korea, and the mysteries of the revered but outlawed practices of Shamanism.
Both Mi-ja and Young-sook are also members of an elite group known as haenyeo, revered women divers who risk danger and extreme cold to free dive for octopus, sea urchin, and abalone. Exploring their closeness, training, and skill behind this group was a revelation. It’s a story with lots of drama.
Lisa See’s deep and thorough research (detailed in the end Acknowledgments) is skillfully woven throughout the novel. And I found THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN held together well despite the disparate topics and events covered. Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Violence