The Island of Sea Women
| Modern Age |
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 The Island of Sea Women
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| Content Warning |
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| graphic violence, death, child death, domestic violence, off-page rape |
“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).
Emily's Reviews
This was a beautiful and tragic read, but I expect no less from Lisa See. I love stories like this, that are hidden histories. I'd never heard of the haenyeo before and I didn't know anything about Jeju Island. I found this book riveting. Beautiful though it was, this is not a story for the weak of heart. The history of Jeju Island is sad and disturbing, and the violence in the book can be graphic at times.
I really enjoyed learning more about the divers, and the matriarchal society of the haenyeo. I found all of that to be incredibly fascinating. I found myself wanting to know and learn more about the history and the lifestyle of the people that live on Jeju island.
This is also a book about anger and how it poisons a person. The story of Mi-ja and Young-sook was so tragic, and the way the story of their friendship unfolds is unforgettable and heartbreaking. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
Other Similar Books
Other suggestions on the subject of Korea.
- Bee-Bim Bop! (by: Park, Linda Sue, Korean Cooking, LE)
- The Firekeeper's Son (by: Park, Linda Sue, Signal Fires, LE)
- The Kite Fighters (by: Park, Linda Sue, Kites, MG)
- SeeSaw Girl (by: Park, Linda Sue, 17th Century Korea, MG)
- When My Name Was Keoko (by: Park, Linda Sue, WWII, UMG)
- Year of Impossible Goodbyes (by: Sook Nyul Choi, Korean War, UMG)
- A Single Shard (by: Park, Linda Sue, Medieval Korea, UMG)
- The Silence of Bones (by: Hur, June, political murder, Joseon Era, YA, A)
- The Red Palace (by: Hur, June, Joseon Era, Political Murder, YA, A)
- Pachinko (by: Lee, Min Jin, Korean War, YA, A)
- The Island of Sea Women (by: See, Lisa, Korea, A)