05/02/2024
The Island of Sea Women: A Review
What if I told you that there is a place where women are the breadwinners, the divers, the leaders, and the healers, while men are the caretakers, the cooks, the weavers, and the followers? What if I told you that this place is not a fantasy, but a reality? A reality that has existed for centuries on a small island off the coast of Korea, where a unique and remarkable culture of female divers, called haenyeo, has thrived and survived through wars, occupations, and modernization.
This is the setting of The Island of Sea Women, a captivating and moving novel by Lisa See, the bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. In this novel, See takes us on an epic journey of friendship, love, betrayal, forgiveness, and resilience, spanning from the 1930s to the 2000s, through the eyes of two haenyeo, Mi-ja and Young-sook.
Mi-ja and Young-sook are best friends who grow up together on the island of Jeju, learning the skills and traditions of the haenyeo from their mothers and grandmothers. They share the joys and sorrows of diving in the sea, harvesting abalone, octopus, and sea urchins, and selling them in the market. They also share the hardships and dangers of living under Japanese colonial rule, witnessing the atrocities and violence inflicted on their people. They vow to stick together, no matter what.
But their friendship is tested by forces beyond their control, such as family secrets, social class, political turmoil, and personal choices. As the world around them changes, so do they. And as they grow older, they drift apart, until a tragic event shatters their bond and their lives forever.
Can they ever reconcile? Can they ever heal? Can they ever forgive?
These are the questions that haunt the reader as they follow the lives of Mi-ja and Young-sook, and the lives of their families and their community. See does a masterful job of weaving historical facts and cultural details into a compelling and emotional story, one that illuminates a fascinating and forgotten aspect of Korean history and culture. She also creates vivid and complex characters, who are flawed but human, who make mistakes but learn from them, who suffer but endure.
The Island of Sea Women is a novel that will make you cry, laugh, and think. It will make you appreciate the power and beauty of the sea, the strength and courage of the women who dive in it, and the bond and loyalty of the friends who share it. It will make you want to visit Jeju, to see the haenyeo for yourself, and to hear their stories.
This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction, female friendship, and cultural diversity. It is a novel that will stay with you long after you finish it, and that will inspire you to dive deeper into your own history, culture, and friendships.
I hope you enjoyed this review of The Island of Sea Women, and that you will pick up this book and embark on the journey it promises.
BOOK: https://amzn.to/42rKvWu
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