The Island of Sea Women
Product ID: 263439304
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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 ). Review: 📚 An Island Led by Sea Women - ✍️ The island of sea women (2019) by Lisa See is a powerful novel that, as a female scuba diver (and after seeing so many recommendations) felt like a must-read. 📖 Set on Jeju Island, south of Korea, the story follows the haenyeo: women who free dive into cold seas to provide for their families in a matrifocal society, where women are the providers and decision-makers. On Jeju, “Halmang” means both “grandmother” and“goddess” - how fabulous is that? 📘At the heart of the novel is the friendship between Young-sook and Mi-ja, spanning the Japanese occupation and the Korean War. 📗 I loved this book. A beautiful, powerful reminder of female strength, community, and endurance in a time and place I knew almost nothing about. Review: Lo recomiendo a ciegas - Un libro muy bello pero duro a la vez
| Best Sellers Rank | #173,563 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #339 in Women's Fiction #561 in Historical Fiction #1,211 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,336 Reviews |
A**S
📚 An Island Led by Sea Women
✍️ The island of sea women (2019) by Lisa See is a powerful novel that, as a female scuba diver (and after seeing so many recommendations) felt like a must-read. 📖 Set on Jeju Island, south of Korea, the story follows the haenyeo: women who free dive into cold seas to provide for their families in a matrifocal society, where women are the providers and decision-makers. On Jeju, “Halmang” means both “grandmother” and“goddess” - how fabulous is that? 📘At the heart of the novel is the friendship between Young-sook and Mi-ja, spanning the Japanese occupation and the Korean War. 📗 I loved this book. A beautiful, powerful reminder of female strength, community, and endurance in a time and place I knew almost nothing about.
E**Z
Lo recomiendo a ciegas
Un libro muy bello pero duro a la vez
P**E
emocionante
um dos melhores livros que li nos últimos anos.
B**A
Fascinating and incredibly moving
A very worthwhile read for many reasons….
J**D
Fascinating read
Book reviewers tend to make full use of the vernacular of the day; they want their review to highlight the things that are most important to the reader. So used in abundance to describe Lisa See's Island of Sea Women are words like female friendship, historical novel, women's strengths, powerful women, multigenerational story, and so on. All these adjectives are accurate but don't do justice to See's book regarding its full scope. This is the story of Korea as told through the friendship of Young-sook, the daughter of the head haenyeo diver, and Mi-ja, the orphaned daughter of a Japanese collaborator. It is unique, beautiful, and sometimes brutal, but most of all, its historical context is authentic. I was fortunate enough to have once lived in South Korea, and while the book enabled me to revisit some familiar words and places, the story of the Island of Jeju and the haenyeo was sadly unknown to me. See's research and how she weaves it into the storyline is flawless. Her writing is clear and honest and never wavers towards unnecessary melodrama or superfluous emotions. To read this book is to immerse oneself in the best and worst of humanity. One cannot help but feel saddened that the lifestyle of the haenyeo is changing, ageing and performative for visiting tourists. South Korea has emerged from its often-dark history, now a vibrant and beautiful country, but to some degree, this has come at the cost of its spirituality and culture. I highly recommend this book because, like those fantastic female divers, it will gently take you down into its depths, from which you will slowly emerge a little richer and a little wiser.
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