The book shifts back and forth from “present day” (2008), when Young-sook meets and speaks with American tourists on Jeju, and past events. However, all of these events are presented through the lens of the main characters. From WWII to the 4.3 Uprising, Japanese occupation, and more, there is much to learn.

Since the novel spans multiple decades, a lot of history is covered. Because of this, their culture and traditions were added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. Now, the only haenyeo left are quite old, as young generations take to city jobs instead. Traditionally, they were the breadwinners of their families, and worked while their husbands took care of their homes and children. These women dive in tight-knit collectives, and earn a living from harvesting seafood. The novel focuses on haenyeo (female free-divers), and their rich, cultural traditions. The Island of Sea Women takes place on Jeju, which is an island off the coast of South Korea. This was an incredible opportunity, and provided me with a lot of additional insight into the novel. We chatted about this book, her inspiration, writing process, and more. KPL invited me to be a part of their event, An Evening With Lisa See, and interview her on stage in front of attendees. This novel deals with a lot of themes-friendship, loss, forgiveness, and resilience, to name a few-and was easily one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.īefore I get too far into this review, I’d like to mention that I received an advance copy of this book from the Kitchener Public Library. The story takes place over the course of roughly 50 years (if my math is right), and follows two main characters: Young-sook and Mi-ja. Immediately after finishing this book, I broke down crying. The Island of Sea Women was the first book by Lisa Sea that I’ve read, and it destroyed my heart in all the right ways. “Every woman who enters the sea carries a coffin on her back.”

The island of sea women review