Name: Cassandra Tang's review of The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Item: The Island of Sea Women
Rating: 4
Author: Cassandra Tang

Lisa See

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 epic 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 wetsuits 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. ‘For centuries, women on Korea’s Jeju island have been free-diving into the sea, a practice explored through this fictionalized story of two friends who struggle to stay close amid war, family rivalries, and a shifting cultural landscape. It’s riveting, historical, and heartbreaking all at once’ Marie Claire ‘Lisa See excels at mining the intersection of family, friendship and history... This novel spans wars and generations, but at its heart is a beautifully rendered story of two women whose individual choices become inextricably tangled’ Jodi Picoult ‘I was spellbound the moment I entered the vivid and little-known world of the diving women of Jeju… No one writes about female friendship… with more insight and depth than Lisa See’ Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees

The Island of Sea Women

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).

A Novel

Cassandra Tang

You are not being punished for your anger. You’re being punished by your anger.”

Saffia

We had always named historic events by their dates. This one became known as 8.15 Liberation Day. We were free from the Japanese colonists at last! We'd also been liberated from the massive number of deaths an invasion would have caused. We went to bed feeling exhilarated, but the next morning every single Japanese person-whether soldier or civilian-was still on Jeju. We were told that Korea would be supervised under a joint trusteeship controlled by four nations: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and China. Another set of men living on the other side of the world had also divided our country along the Thirty-eighth Parallel. This meant - although none of us understood the practicalities - that the USSR would oversee Korea above the line and the United States would oversee Korea below the line as we transitioned to independence and formed our own country. We thought we were free, but so far the only difference in our lives here on Jeju was that the Japanese flag was lowered, and the American flag was raised. One colonizer had been replaced by another.

Joy is a delicious luxury that we experience most cautiously, for tragedy conceals itself around every corner. How different it is with friendship. No one picks a friend for us, we come together by choice. We are not tied together through ceremony or the responsibility to create a son, we tie ourselves together through moments. The spark when we first meet. Laughter and tears shared. Secrets packed away to be treasured, hoarded, and protected. The wonder that someone can be so different from you and yet still understand your heart in a way no one else ever will.

Sophie L Smith 

Inspiring, heartfelt, and eye-opening read about Jeju's history

I think this may be my new favourite book. It is beautifully written and tells the powerful story of a friendship that spans decades, the joy it brings and the deep pain and forgiveness it demands. It's set on Jeju island between 1938-2008, which was very much a matrifocal society, one when the haenyo (divers) were prominent and essential to the survival of entire families. I've learned so much about Korean history and culture through this book. I am ashamed to say I had no idea of the mass killings and horrific atrocities that the people of Jeju were subjected to before the Korean war, nor the denial and suppression that followed. This was a tragic but heart warming story that will stay with me for a long time.

A heartbreaking raw account of war, friendship, and forgiveness. Split my heart into pieces. 

Elyse 

Really good! I loved the writing and the history, super interesting. Good characters

Finn James

This book showed strong female characters, grief, and humanity in the most realistic way. It gives insight into a culture many of us may have never been aware of otherwise. It shows the complexities of friendship and family with the backdrop of the horrifying wars and colonialism that impacted Korea. 

Olivia Rousseau 

Eva Ströberg

I love Lisa See’s books because they were made with extensive amount of researches and historical study, yet the books feel light enough to read focusing on friendships, someone’s life and fate without getting too tangled into historical moments.

This book tells the story of Young-sook and her best friend Mi-ja, how they became haenyeo (female divers from Jeju islans) together, their lives drama and their conflicts. It’s very intense and compelling that I ended up reading the book 2 day straight. Recommended for those who like to read historical novels

Gelaine Trinidad

Patricia Nelson

This is a well-written book about a culture and a place that I was completely unaware of, and a story about friendship and community that is common to all women. We were so lucky to be able to chat with the author when we discussed this book in my book club. Ms. See shared with me ahead of time about her friend's tea company and I was able to enhance our book club with a tea tasting and some Korean sweets. It was really fun! (https://www.banateacompany.com/pages/...)
This story follows some characters through a lifetime of change - cultural, societal, technological and governmental change. It deals with loss in many ways - death, loss of friendship, loss of a way of life. It was compelling to learn about a society of women Haenyeo who provide so much to each other in a group setting and dynamic that will be familiar to any woman in any culture. The Haenyeo provide protection, food, knowledge, power, purpose, friendship, community, feedback, accountability, laughter and love to each other. It's hard to say what struck me the most about The Island of Sea Women, but perhaps it is the author's skill that wove together a part of history that was new to me with a story about relationships that will resonate with many. This also made this a wonderful book club choice, because there was so much to discuss.

The first third of this book is amazing. The middle is difficult to get through - graphic violence and a lot of historical timeline of war, which somehow feels very dry instead of emotional and impactful. The last third is okay...I still have a hard time believing someone would hate such a good friend and avoid talking to them for so long.

Katelyn Caillouet

** spoiler alert **
           I don’t even know where to start with this book other than the fact I felt every form of emotion imaginable whilst reading it. The heartache and tears that came with it were completely worth it and I’m grateful this book gave me a little understanding of what the women in Korea faced during Japan’s Colonisation and how the Haenyeo women of Jeju did their best to provide for themselves and everyone in their household. 

I highly recommend this book and I hope people understand that following anger blindly without knowing the whole truth is causes fatal misunderstandings, which is what caused Yoonseok and Mi-ja to lose such a beloved friendship and sisterhood. 
However they still held each other close to their hearts till the end even though they weren’t honest with one another. 

10/10

andrea

the pace for the first half is perfect and a story both engaging and incredibly interesting is presented; you learn so much about the culture, religion, way of life and customs of the haenyeo women and their social structure, as well as historical content about the 20th century's conflicts taking place in korea and jeju island. i really liked it and how it was focused on the consequences for the main cast of female characters, how they had to be strong for their loved ones because they were the bread-winners and the head of their families. war, colonisation and the atrocities the people of jeju had to suffer aren't sugar coated; i could tell there was heavy research behind every historical event being portrayed. 

but from the 50% onwards the book starts declining pacing-wise, it gets slower and the plot gets stupidly predictable. it goes, many times, in circles repeating the same discussions over and over again. i knew exactly how the book was going to end and the lesson about forgiveness and living with hate in your heart i was going to get, it wasn't something that i haven't seen in a film or read before. it was very underwhelming because the beginning couldn't have been better. 

weirdly enough, i think the story was too sentimenal but at the same time too impersonal for me. it was fine, solid, but there is no emotional element that is going to make this book and its characters stick with me for a long time.

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.

Pavonini

Really interesting book. I learned and felt a lot reading it. Would recommend.

Cheri McElroy

This book broke my heart. It’s about history, friendships, heartbreak, tragedy, unforgiveness, and the consequences we face from making assumptions about others. Lisa See is a wonderful author who keeps you coming back for more. Highly recommended.

Sara

4.5 stars, tears happened, a better review will come once I get my shit together

Very interesting, gives good insight into a now almost extinct occupation. The strength of community. Expansive view of war , politics corruption and forgiveness.

Sheilamowlds

Very interesting, gives good insight into a now almost extinct occupation. The strength of community. Expansive view of war , politics corruption and forgiveness.



La storia è davvero coinvolgente (e dolorosa) e mi ha lasciato tanto a cui pensare.

È poi una lettura interessantissima per conoscere qualcosa in più sulla storia di questo Paese e soprattutto sulla società e le tradizioni dell'isola di Jeju.

Francesca

La storia è davvero coinvolgente (e dolorosa) e mi ha lasciato tanto a cui pensare.

È poi una lettura interessantissima per conoscere qualcosa in più sulla storia di questo Paese e soprattutto sulla società e le tradizioni dell'isola di Jeju.

Elizabeth Moore

This book falls victim to Good Read’s full-stars-only review system again; I would give this a solid 3.5 stars if I could! I liked this book, and recommend it, yet there were certain elements that didn’t quite do it for me. 

This book is in the surface (no pun intended) a story is about the extraordinary female haenyeo divers of Jeju Island, but it’s about so much more than that. It’s about the atrocities of the Korean War and especially the brutal events that took place on Jeju island, it’s about the nuance and unshakeable nature of lifelong friendship, it’s about forgiveness, and it’s threaded subtly yet indelibly with questions about understanding: how do you come to terms with things you can’t understand,how does human spirit compensate when it doesn’t have the tools to understand something, and how do truth and understanding coexist? The last theme snuck up on me and hit me hard; I didn’t realize how much of the story revolves around these questions until the very last page.

I learned more (embarrassingly) about the Korean War through reading this book than I had before in my life, and while brutally difficult to read in some places, I’m glad I read about it, and I think the author does an amazing job of depicting the impact of this war on the people of Jeju. So much of what happened was unspeakable, and yet so much of it was covered up for so long. In many ways, this theme plays into the friendships in this book too.

For all of the horror and the unpredictability of one enduring force in this book, war, the other enduring force of the sea is where we and the characters find sanctuary and constancy. Young-Sook, the narrator, and her friends and family aren’t immune to tragedy in the ocean, but it’s enduringly the source of life for their people and of respite from the pains they face on the land. I LOVED reading about the haenyeo and their skills, traditions, customs and friendships - their culture and their profession is mind-blowing. Watching the Hado haenyeo collective evolve as time went on, and watching it forced into the trappings of modern-day commercialization was fascinating.

The friendship between Young-Sook and Mi-Ja is what drives this book, and I agree that it’s wonderful and real. It also, though, was the source of my major frustration with the book. After the fall out of one of the major plot points of the story, Young-Sooks intense coldness and inability to forgive or seek to understand her friend is borderline insane, although she can be forgiven based on the circumstances. Equally, Mi-Ja’s inability to just come out with it and force Young-Sook to listen while she explains herself was wildly frustrating. If these two women were so close for so, so long, it was wild to me that they had lost their ability to see one another and hear one another. That said, this very inability is what pervades so much of the book so it’s still extremely on-theme, if not fun to read. 

The fact that the entire miscommunication of the story was unraveled in the literally last 3 pages of the book with ONE PARAGRAPH OF ABSTRACT RESOLUTION almost killed me. Thank god for the beautiful sea scenes and my new found love for haenyeo, which saved me.

Overall, I very much liked this book, what it taught me about Jeju Island and Haenyeo culture, and the way it spoke to the power of females, their resolve, and their friendships. Read it, and then call me to complain about the whole 40-year friendship miscommunication.

laura cait driscoll 

What a book. 
I’ve not taken to a book like this in years. I fell hard for this novel. I was completely pulled in to the story from the beginning. The book goes between the past and the future, but not in a disjointed way. It worked well. As a reader you got the sense that something bad was going to happen but you couldn’t pull away. 
This was new information for me following the history of the women divers (Haenyeo) of Jeju island and the horrific impacts they faced through Japanese colonialism, WWII and the Korean War but it was obviously well researched and portrayed so respectfully but honestly. 

The heart of this story follows the friendship between two girls - women - and all the emotions within it. Following them through the ways they were forced to navigate the changing world simply to survive. 
It’s about strong Haenyeo women that form a matriarchal society, it’s about Korea, it’s about family and inheritance, it’s about traditions, it’s about hardship and friendship, but most of all, it’s about women that work, provide, and care for the land and sea. 
Tough topics are tackled and it didn’t shy away from any gruesome aspects and the realities of war or the dangers that diving could actually be for the Haenyeos. 
This book absolutely broke my heart and made me feel such a strong sense of empathy and sympathy. But it also highlighted the resilience of them as well as hope. 
Although it’s easy to want to be frustrated by the blindness of anger and inability to forgive that the characters may face, it is actually the most realistic and human things about them. I found the ending came all too quick for me and it felt almost bittersweet but it doesn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the book. 

This story is written with such respect and it feels important. Each paragraph has a purpose. 
Highly recommend this book personally. 
Especially if you are interested in historical fiction that has been deeply researched.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nadine 

Fascinating look at a slice of Korean history & culture on JeJu island.

Jennifer

An emotional tale about grief, loss, as well as forgiveness. The Island of Sea Women provides a nuanced perspective of the long friendship of two female divers from Jeju Island. In the novel, Young-sook, recounts her past experiences which spanned over several decades in the 20th Century. From her narrative, the tradition and culture of haenyeo were vividly fleshed out. I can tell that Lisa See had extensively researched both the cultural aspects of haenyeo as well as the historical events which took place in the timeline. So I thought the cultural aspect was very well done. 

While I applaud both the research as well as the characterisation, I had some concerns with the factual info-dumping with regard to the historical events. I think some of the excessive details could had been cut, because I found the middle portion of the novel quite sluggish in terms of the pacing. It was hard for push through under time pressure (again, I feel like my decision to read this novel from my iPad kind of compromised my reading experience so this is a purely subjective take).

Nevertheless, Lisa See's storytelling in The Island of Sea Women excels through her solid characterisation and emotional impacts, while keeping the historical details faithful. If you enjoy historical fiction and nuanced narratives from female characters, I would certainly recommend this!

N.B. this book contains the following triggers: death, drowning, illnesses, and injury

(3.5 stars out of 5)

Kath Lau

I had no idea about these amazing female divers of Jeju Island called "Haenyeo" until I read this book. Haenyeo are determined and fearless. They are the bread winners in their families while their husbands stay at home to take care of their children. Reading stories featuring matriarchal society always fascinates me. It also makes me think. If this kind of society already exists (or has existed) then why men are having a hard time accepting that women are equally strong as them, if not stronger than them.

Anyway, this book follows the story of Mi-ja and Young sook. They're both haenyeo and despite of their different backgrounds they still became best of friends. They shared a lot of great memories and one of my favorites was the day when Mi-ja introduces Young sook to "rubbing" and teaches her how to do it. Sorry but you have to read the book to know what it is. They went through a lot of life-changing experiences that tested their bond and threaten their friendship.

It was a slow start for me but the story picked up in the middle and I couldn't stop reading. I've learned a lot from this book. The author definitely did a wonderful job researching and sharing important events in history in this book. Some parts were hard to read and there's one particular horrific scene that brought me to tears. It still makes my eyes teary everytime I think about it. This book is beautifully written, heart-wrenching at times, but definitely worth reading.

Wow. I'll try to talk as much as possible without giving away spoilers. 

This book ruined me.

I was blindsided on my way to work by the tipping point in their relationship. I was driving and trying not to sob and it was the worst but the best. I don't remember the April 3 incident being taught in school, or at least just didn't remember it. I had no idea that Teju was so dominated and censored.

The world building was fantastic, but I do think it took a long time to really amp itself up to the real meat. Every time something bad happened, I would think "this is it! This is where they fall apart," but oh man it was barely beginning. I think the length of time spent in their childhood made you feel connected so that when the pin drops you feel gutted for the characters. And the characterization was spot on for me. I have no idea how I would even begin to feel in the same situation, but I can understand both sides reacting the way they did.

Finally, this is a book worth reading. Keep the tissues close, be ready to hear some fun facts about life on Teju and the Korean way of life.

(view spoiler)[ I felt so bad for the protagonist at the end. This woman could not let herself forgive for so many years and lost her best friend. And her best friend tried but failed and paid for it in her own way. I think Mi-ja's plight was pretty obvious, I don't know how she didn't realize the whole situation as time passed. In the moment, it's completely understandable how both acted in their own ways. It just blew me away.  (hide spoiler)]

Leelynn Brady

Yes, once again I changed up the format of my review, and I was inspired by the thoughts that I was having while reading this book. Honestly, I don’t remember what made me pick it up, but I definitely don’t regret it. I hope you enjoy my review, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on some of the points I want to discuss today.

Well obviously you knew I changed my format up since this wasn’t the first review I ended up posting with this new format, but I didn’t feel like changing that first paragraph. Thanks for dealing with my crazy.



(+) The Jeju haenyeo remind me of the Japanese ama, which I just so happened to read about in a YA Fantasy book about vampire ninjas, so that was interesting.

(+) The way this is written reminds me of The Joy Luck Club for some reason. Not for the content but the way that things are stated as fact, not so much embellished for the sake of it. Does that even make sense?

(+) Why do I feel like this book is going to break my heart?

(+) It’s going to break my heart, isn’t it.

(+) I’m not prepared.

Read the rest of my review on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads

Jessica Smith

For me, the best thing about reading this book has been learning about a part of the world and a period of history that I didn't know that much about – Jeju Island, under the Japanese occupation and then the brutal, bloodthirsty dictatorship that emerged in South Korea after WW2. Fairly isolated from the mainland, Jeju people developed a distinct culture, more egalitarian and “matrifocal”, and it was interesting to read all about this.

The plot itself follows one woman, Young-sook, from girlhood right through to old age. As a girl, her best friend is a girl named Mi-ja, reviled by much of the village for being the daughter of a Japanese collaborator (although he's now dead), but Young-sook and her mother don't believe Mi-ja can be defined purely by her parentage. The girls' friendship becomes strained after their arranged marriages – while Young-sook's husband, a local schoolteacher, is kind and noble-hearted, Mi-ja is saddled with a cruel, abusive man who is another Japanese collaborator (and swiftly moves to serve the right-wing dictatorship once the Japanese are expelled). After a particularly gut-wrenching moment during the Jeju Uprising, their friendship is severed forever, although Mi-ja's family later return to Jeju to try to make peace with Young-sook, as told over a series of flash-forwards over the book.

I did like this book, but I don't know… perhaps it wasn't the kind of book I should have been reading right now. Lately I've been shocked by the traditionalist, sexist attitudes some of my partner's close relatives have turned out to harbour, and so the parts of this book that described sexist traditions on Jeju Island were painful reminders of that (even though Jeju women rebelled against them in many ways). In particular the part towards the end of the book where Young-sook throws a temper tantrum over her daughter's impending wedding reminded me very specifically of my would-be mother-in-law. I also felt like the core plotline – the close friendship turned bitter resentment between Young-sook and Mi-ja – was quite similar to the one in another book by Lisa See, Shanghai Girls, and not really as gripping as the historical detail. It's a good book (and so was Shanghai Girls for that matter), but I just feel like I'd have connected with it more if I'd read it at another time.

Sophie L Smith &
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

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