The Island of Sea Women - Lisa See

The Island of Sea Women

ByLisa See

  • Release Date: 2019-03-05
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 1,450 Ratings

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).

Reviews

  • Excellent insight into Korean history.

    5
    By RedMook
    I had no idea where the story would go in the first few chapters. It ended up being a beautiful story of friendship and family. It was great to learn about haneyeo and Korean history too. Amazing.
  • Unbelievably human

    5
    By MSimiele
    This is a powerful book !
  • What an interesting well written gripping piece of historical fiction. Wow! That girl can write!

    5
    By Barbara Thornton
    I liked .everything! Especially her character development and adherence to the historical facts as she built her historical fiction novel. I immediately began searching for other novels by her.
  • Five Gold Stars

    5
    By Grambaca
    I’ve read other Lisa See books and liked them all. This one, however, is my favorite! I learned a lot about the history and culture of Korea, especially Jeju Island. The matriarchal culture of the divers is fascinating, and the characters and plot lines were well developed.
  • Excellent read!

    5
    By Susan’s Travels
    Intriguing and well told piece of history I knew nothing about. The characters were so well developed, it made it hard to put down.
  • Best book ever

    5
    By Firesnuff
    Very good and moving story
  • Well written

    4
    By Amigo73
    but Avery tragic tale. Hard for another woman to read. My heart is heavy for these characters.
  • Ingenious

    5
    By Margaret Panopoulos
    Amazing story, rich characters, a rare gem in the literary world!
  • Tragic Tale

    4
    By STEMteacher2020
    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.
  • Nice history

    3
    By CS Walter
    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.

About "The Island of Sea Women"

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