Review: The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Title: The Island of Sea Women

Author: Lisa See

Published: March 2019, Scribner

Format: Hardcover, 374 pages

Source: Personal copy

Summary: 

A new novel from Lisa See, the New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, about female friendship and family secrets on a small Korean island.

Mi-ja
and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best
friends that 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’s differences are impossible to ignore. The Island of Sea Women is
an epoch set over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese
colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean
War and its aftermath, 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, and she will forever be marked by this
association. 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 after surviving hundreds of dives
and developing the closest of bonds, forces outside their control will
push their friendship to the breaking point.

This beautiful,
thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the
women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men
take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s
friendships and the larger forces that shape them—The Island of Sea Women
introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of
Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.

My thoughts: I have long been a fan of Lisa See’s books, ever since reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I have had the opportunity to meet Lisa on two of her books tours – when she was touring for Dreams of Joy and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. When I found out her latest book, The Island of Sea Women was the April book club pick for the Barnes & Noble book club, it was just the push I needed to join and to read this book right away!

I love that Lisa’s books are so full of rich historical and cultural detail. I fully admit that I did not know anything about Jeju Island prior to reading this book. I found the idea that this island was a matriarchal society to be fascinating. Women do the work of diving and providing for the families, while the men take care of the children. 

I loved the details we get about the diving. My husband is a diver, and while I’ve never tried it, I found the little nuances Lisa gave us to be quite enlightening. I now have a much better understanding of what he does and how important it is to do all the necessary steps each time you go out there. And to think these women were doing all this diving at one time without all the gear divers use now. 

At the heart of the story is the friendship of Young-sook and Mi-ja, who first meet when they are seven-years old. Though they are from different backgrounds, they have the same goal – to become divers, and form a bond and friendship as if they were sisters. They promise to always be there for each other and to remain together always. But external forces will eventually test their friendship. Will it survive?

The book spans many decades, taking us from Japanese Colonialism through WWII to the present. There were many instances where the history was quite brutal to read, but knowing the history is what makes this read so powerful, and Lisa does it with such dignity and respect for the people. She shows how the characters’ lives were shaped by these events.

This book is a very powerful, unforgettable read. It is rich in historical and cultural detail and contains strong, fierce characters that I absolutely loved. I cannot recommend this book enough!