The Island of Sea Women

By Lisa See

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1501154850
• ISBN13: 9781501154850
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Important stories

Amazing book! The theme the story the characters the journey- it’s all so easy to be buried in this book. What I love about historical fiction is that it allows me to learn more about major events through the experiences of ordinary folxs as they are trying to understand and get through. Such a wonderful descriptive book that allowed me to learn a lot about an important time in SKorea.

Lisa See never disappoints

This is a great book that takes you on journey of a lesser known culture to westerners. See is an amazing storyteller and all of her books have made their way to my bookshelf. This one is a stand out for its look at these remarkable women. A page turner.

Cant decide on a favorite book from lisa see.

this one took me to a place i never even knew about. A familiar moral of the story moment, but a great lesson learned, through someone else.

A roller coaster of a story

I read this right after reading Pachinko and I highly recommend doing so. I so enjoyed this book. The characters were well thought out and the complexity of the situations they found themselves in was very much like real life.

Exceptionally well written

This was my first book by Lisa See to read. It’s an excellent novel about an island off the coast of South Korea where women are the breadwinners and husbands raise the children and take care of the households. Very interesting with good character development. I have since read all but 1 of Lisa See’s books and decided to purchase the entire set so I can reread them whenever I want.

This is a very moving book about a torn country, friendship, perseverance, love lost and found. Once

Great and moving novel- I’ve recommended it to several friends and they’ve thanked me. Truly a memorable book based loosely on history.