The Island of Sea Women

Summary (from the publisher): 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 listeners to the fierce and unforgettable lady divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.

Review: Young-sook is a young girl living on the Korean island of Jeju in the 1930s. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo or female divers, and grows up expecting to train with her mother and join her diving for food to help support her family. She becomes best friends with Mi-ja, a girl her same age but from a very different background. While the girls dream of a future filled with raising their families and diving together, World War II, the Korean War, and other changes shake their island and their plans. 

Spanning many decades, Young-sook and Mi-ja face many trials and losses in their lives, which ultimately shakes their once close friendship. Their work as haenyeo is incredibly dangerous; many haenyeo over the years have been injured or died working in the sea. The haenyeo dive unassisted, holding their breaths for great depths and exposed to all the dangers of the ocean. Compounding this risk, their island faces many trials and violence as it is caught in the crosshairs of warring empires. Both girls experience hardships, violence, and loss. 

I loved learning about haenyeos and the culture and history of Jeju island through this book. While it is a novel, See obviously did considerable research and Young-sook and Mi-ja's story was an excellent way to explore the historical practice of sea diving. By alternating between the girls' childhood and the 2008 chapters when Young-sook is an elderly woman, the reader is able to see the immense changes that have taken place in Young-sook's lifetime and the slow fade of the cultural practices that used to be the bedrock of the island. This was also a beautiful novel about friendship and ties that bind friends together despite everything, even perceived betrayal and years of distance. 

Stars: 4