Book Club: ‘The Island of Sea Women’ by Lisa See (2024)
Book Club: ‘The Island of Sea Women’ by LisaSee
Posted on 1st Sep 2021 by Zuzia Dusza
Little is known about Jeju- a Korean island- occupied by brutal Japanese troops in the 1930s and ’40s, later liberated by US forces and turned over to the even more barbarous Korean regime whose wrongdoings were overlooked by both American and U.N. occupiers. Lisa See travels back 75 years to these horrifying events and weaves a narrative that intertwines these historical happenings with thehaenyeoculture of female divers who created a semi-matriarchal society in which they were the breadwinners while their husbands carried out domestic duties and menial work. Through the story of Mi-ja and Young-sook, two women divers from strikingly different backgrounds, but both part of their village’s all-female diving collective, See introduces the reader to this unique and unexplored culture of female diving. She does so while exploring the effects that Japanese colonialism, the Second World War and the Korean war had on shaping their lives and the island of Jeju. The historical fiction novel is written as a dual-narrative which alternates between Young-sook’s life as a fishing diver in 1938 and the dwellings of this past life retold in 2008.
The haenyeo culture is poorly understood, and, to this day, no one quite comprehends the bond its women have to the ocean, their endurance and what their lifestyle encompassed. See embarks on researching their lives and reports the protagonist’s and her friends’ careers and life choices (often forced upon them). Starting with diving locally and selling their catch, Young-sook and Mi-ja- both married and pregnant- soon had to acquire contract diving work in Vladivostok, Russia, to earn more money and support themselves as well as their families. While they dove into the ice-cold waters, their body temperatures fell to levels unrecorded anywhere else in the world. As two near-fatal incidents proved, abalone and giant octopuses comprised the riskiest yet most prized catch. Descriptions of their fishing endeavours and encounters with the ocean’s predators, as well as often deadly prey, portray the threats these female divers faced but also prove the unique skills and knowledge they possessed.
“Every woman who enters the sea carries a coffin on her back.” says the chief diver. “In this world, in the undersea world, we know the burdens of a hard life. We are crossing between life and death every day.”
In the first half of the novel, See explores the craft of the haenyeo: free diving, pre-wetsuit diving equipment andsumbisori:the art of held breath and a vocal practice based on techniques also used by whales and seals which enables the human body to dive down to 20m below the sea level. In the latter part of the book, See backdrops the lives of Young-sook and Mi-ja against the horrendous events that took place on Jeju island and the loss and betrayal that followed, introducing the reader to this untold but crucial part of history.
In conclusion, ‘The Island of Sea Women’ is an important work of historical fiction that introduces and explores a culture little is known about. Through a story of incredible friendship, hardship, loss, betrayal and endurance, See not only tells a beautiful tale of two female divers, the art they cultivated, and their wisdom and perseverance but draws our attention to important events which shaped and often destroyed the lives of many like them living on Jeju. It introduces the reader to a very different way of life, shines light on exclusive knowledge, intricate fishing and harvesting techniques, indigenous wisdom, the reversal of traditional gender roles and a society governed by rules and customs very different to our own.
To all those interested in diving, finding out more about the haenyeo culture and Korea’s turbulent history, I wholeheartedly recommend this one-of-a-kind read.
This review is the eighteenth in our new Marine Madness Book Club! At the beginning of every month we will be releasing a new review of an ocean inspired book and encouraging you to let us know what you think in the comments and via social media. To find out more visit the Book Club pagehere.
“The fierce free-diving women on the Korean island of Jeju are the subject of Lisa See's mesmerizing new historical novel that celebrates women's strengths—and the strength of their friendships.”
Answer and Explanation: The Island of Sea Women is not a true story in that the main characters, Young-sook and Mi-ja, are not real women and their stories are fictionalized.
The Island of Sea Women is about a friendship that begins in childhood between Young-sook and Mi-ja on the South Korean Jeju Island. Young-sook's mother is the head of the local diving collective, and she's expected to become a diver as well. Mi-ja's father is a Japanese collaborator, so she's shunned by the Islanders.
The Island of Sea Women is a 2019 historical novel written by American author Lisa See. Set on the Korean island of Jeju, the novel tells the story of a friendship between Mi-ja, the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and Young-Sook, the heir apparent in a family of haenyeo.
In 1517 a Spanish expedition under the leadership of Francisco Fernandez de Cordoba found the island and saw the sanctuary with a representation of Ixchel and all the women statues that the Mayan used to offer to their goddess and this why he called it “Isla Mujeres”.
The Haenyeo, or 'women of the sea', are an icon of South Korea. A unique culture found on the island of Jeju, the women have been in charge of diving for seafood to provide for their families since the 17th century when many of the men were either conscripted to the army or had lost their lives at sea while fishing.
The novel ends with Clara asking Young-sook to take her and her mother diving. The novel ends with Young-sook taking three deep breaths, getting ready to dive with Clara.
The story of Mi-ja and Young-sook's friendship moves forward against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation of Korea, an ongoing source of bitterness and fear that controls every aspect of village life. The Japanese are “cloven-footed” and known for stealing young girls.
The Island of Sea Women and The Mermaid from Jeju are in fact very different sorts of novels: They differ stylistically just about as much as possible for two works of historical fiction set in the same chronological framework.
Book overview. The most recent novel by Margaret Drabble, The Sea Lady tells a story of first and last love, of evolution and the ebb and flow of time that gives shape to our lives. Humphrey and Ailsa meet as children by a grey, northern sea.
Mermaids, sirens, selkies, water nymphs – female mythological figures of the sea were a source of both inspiration and fear for seagoing men over hundreds of years. Perhaps they represented the allure of the open sea, the way it beckoned to those young men who left life at home behind.
It's a novel about deep human themes like anger and forgiveness, love and loss, and the enduring strength of a matriarchal society on the small island of Jeju, off the southern coast of Korea.
The main theme of J. Reeves' poem "The Sea" is the power and unpredictability of nature, embodied by the sea. The sea's playful and menacing characteristics are metaphorically depicted as a "hungry dog" that plays, growls, and finally rests.
The main message of the story is to persevere in the face of hardship and take advantage of every opportunity to make a better life while also helping others who are less fortunate.
The main messages from Song of the Sea are about the love between siblings, the importance and power of storytelling, and the acceptance of grief and loss.
Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002
Phone: +813077629322
Job: Real-Estate Executive
Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating
Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
