The Island of Sea Women

A Novel

By: Lisa See

Narrated by: Jennifer Lim

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).

Critic reviews

"This multigenerational tale of women living on an island off the coast of Korea details a world in which women have power and authority and work hard as deep-sea divers. Two women and their friendship are at the heart of a tale in which war and disruption, including American occupation, destroy some lives and alter others. Jennifer Lim . . . is an appropriate narrator who understands the correct pronunciation of local names and locales. The novel is a beautifully written, sublime piece of fiction."

Narration was so bad I didn’t finish

This seems like a good book to read. The narrator was a terrible choice for this book. Somehow a New Jersey(ish) twang doesn’t fly with this novel. The story was interesting though.

Entertaining & historically informative ~

This is the 3rd of Lisa See’s novels I’ve enjoyed. Her characters are many and a select few are well developed. i learned a lot about that period of Korean history because as I was reading I found myself “googling” Jeju Island and the Incident 4 13 (horrific). ~ So many thanks, Ms. See, for the inspiration!
I couldn’t rate this work higher ~ it’s not quite at that level.

Audio turned me off -at first

I almost didn’t read this book because of how American Jennifer Lim sounded. I wanted it to sound Korean. I persevered and was glad I did.

Interesting on SO Many Levels

I loved the characters and their development in this story, and the historical aspect of things reminded me of the Concentration Camps during WWII.

Loved it

This book was so incredible from beginning to end. There was som foreshadowing in it which was such a great teaser.