The Island of Sea Women
- Downloads：7710
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-17 00:20:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Lisa See
- ISBN：1501154869
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
CL
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Really enjoyed this book。 I found it to be a little different from her others but similar in the sense that it was a page turner， educational， horrific at times， and absolutely worth the read。
Tiffany
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This book was so so good！ A story about friendship， sisterhood， womanhood， love， betrayal， understanding and forgiveness all set on Jeju Island， South Korea。 I loved it。
Mahay
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The Rundown: The Island of Sea Women tells the story of Young-sook and Mi-ja， two women living in Korea through the 1930s and 1940s。 As girls， they become haenyeo， female divers who harvest the sea for food to support their families。 Young-sook and Mi-ja， as close as sisters， suffer greatly during the dangerous and violent years of Japanese Colonialism， World War II， and the Korean War。 The extreme hardships brought upon them tear their relationship beyond repair， but their deep bond endlessly t The Rundown: The Island of Sea Women tells the story of Young-sook and Mi-ja， two women living in Korea through the 1930s and 1940s。 As girls， they become haenyeo， female divers who harvest the sea for food to support their families。 Young-sook and Mi-ja， as close as sisters， suffer greatly during the dangerous and violent years of Japanese Colonialism， World War II， and the Korean War。 The extreme hardships brought upon them tear their relationship beyond repair， but their deep bond endlessly ties them together in powerful ways。The Wrap: This book has been on my list for quite some time。 I very much enjoyed Lisa Lee’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan。 This novel proved to be just as powerful。 See introduces us to the culture of haenyeo， a group of strong， independent women in Korea。 It was fascinating to read about their matriarchal structure and the vast differences between their lives and my own。 The war history in Korea was extremely disturbing， and Lee doesn’t shy from exposing its violent truths。 This story almost feels like a fairy tale because it is so far removed from my own reality。 My only complaint is that the book is a bit slow at times。The Recommendation: Read this book if you greatly enjoy reading books from cultures vastly different from your own。 Read it if you like learning via historical fiction。 Read it if you support strong， powerful women。 If you enjoy generational coming-of-age stories。 。。。more
Janice Coy
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A dense and graphic historical tome。 If you enjoy reading lots of historical fact - almost like a history book - you will enjoy this novel。 The cover and the synopsis are a little deceiving， this is not a light read about friendship but a gritty story of survival during military occupation。 The women find relief while free-diving in the ocean year round for abalone and octopus and bonding over their shared diving experiences。 I gave this book four stars because I admire the extensive research do A dense and graphic historical tome。 If you enjoy reading lots of historical fact - almost like a history book - you will enjoy this novel。 The cover and the synopsis are a little deceiving， this is not a light read about friendship but a gritty story of survival during military occupation。 The women find relief while free-diving in the ocean year round for abalone and octopus and bonding over their shared diving experiences。 I gave this book four stars because I admire the extensive research done by Lisa See。 This is not the type of book I typically pick up to read， and I doubt I will read another of her books。 。。。more
Kate M
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I loved this book so much！ My favourite books are often those that shine a light on a history and culture I knew nothing about， while at the same time telling a universal story that could be experienced in some form anywhere in the world。Young-sook is an elderly Haenyeo， a diver in the matriarchal society of Jeju， a Korean island between the Korean peninsula and Japan。 This story flickers between the history of Jeju， particularly in the 1930s - 50s， under Japanese occupation and then during the I loved this book so much！ My favourite books are often those that shine a light on a history and culture I knew nothing about， while at the same time telling a universal story that could be experienced in some form anywhere in the world。Young-sook is an elderly Haenyeo， a diver in the matriarchal society of Jeju， a Korean island between the Korean peninsula and Japan。 This story flickers between the history of Jeju， particularly in the 1930s - 50s， under Japanese occupation and then during the period of American occupation and separation from North Korea。 The history of the island is heartbreaking and fascinating and it made me feel ashamed that while I have sort out information about North Korea， I hadn't thought to find out about South Korea and their history。 The society that Young-sook lives in is also unique， and like many places in the 20th century， undergoing rapid change。 This book is also the story of the friendship， and loss of friendship， of Young-sook and another haenyeo， Mi-ja。 Their lives intertwine in many ways， some of them tragic， that produces effects that ripple through generations。Best book I've read in a while， thoroughly recommend it if anyone wants to borrow my copy。 。。。more
Helena Cortés
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Un putu dramote però boníssima història。 En algun moment he tirat el llibre a terra i he hagut de sortir a caminar dues horetes abans de poder seguir llegint。 Intensa mai in-intensa。
Carol Higgins
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Such an interesting book！ A book about a culture and events that were so unfamiliar to me。 I could not put this book down。
Heidi
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What a captivating and heart-grabbing story！ Lisa See introduces us to the Island of Jeju with its amazing haenyeo divers。 Through Japanese occupation and WW2 into the Korean War。 I've never read a story about the Korean War， but the perspective from Jeju is pretty dismal。 Although most of the story exists in the past， it also brings us up to 2008。 Nicely weaving the changes in culture and history。 Throughout the author explores how the main characters deal with tragedy and trauma， with grudges What a captivating and heart-grabbing story！ Lisa See introduces us to the Island of Jeju with its amazing haenyeo divers。 Through Japanese occupation and WW2 into the Korean War。 I've never read a story about the Korean War， but the perspective from Jeju is pretty dismal。 Although most of the story exists in the past， it also brings us up to 2008。 Nicely weaving the changes in culture and history。 Throughout the author explores how the main characters deal with tragedy and trauma， with grudges or with forgiveness。 Thanks to my friend Ruth for recommending this。 You are right that I would really love reading this book but that it wouldn't be an easy read。 I especially appreciated the audio version since it introduced several words and names that I wouldn't have pronounced properly in my head。 Now I want to know more of the back story。。。 what prompted See to tell this tale and how she was inspired to tell this perspective。 。。。more
Christina Edick
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Interesting storyI like Lisa See as a writer and found this book revealing of how people lived on the island at the time but toward the end of the book it became laborious to finish - even tho the story was being wrapped up。
Dorothy Alva
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So loved this book。 Great life lessons here and to learn about the Korean culture。 Win Win！！
Susan
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An historically and culturally fascinating story about friendship and family and forgiveness。 Loved it。
Ara Yoon
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일제시대부터 2008년까지의 역사 드라마였어요。 무지했던 제주도 근현대 역사에 놀라고 가슴아팠고， 친자매보다 가깝던 두 여인의 사랑과 배신。 미움。 아픔에 가슴 절절 했어요。 세상에 어찌 관계가 이리 실타래처럼 얼킬까 답답해하며 곱씹다가， 어쩌면 인생살이 크고 작게 우리네들이 하나 둘 가지고 있는 풀지 못한 아픔이 아닐까。。 로 생각을 마무리 했어요。인생드라마 역사드라마 좋아하는 분들께 추천합니다。
Kathy
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It covers a long period of time and a lot of Korean， world， and family history of the two main characters， so I had to keep re-reading sections until I figured out exactly who it was talking about。 Eventually I was amazed by the work the women did （not just in the sea， but for their families as well） and was sorry I didn't know about it before I went to South Korea in 2000。 It covers a long period of time and a lot of Korean， world， and family history of the two main characters， so I had to keep re-reading sections until I figured out exactly who it was talking about。 Eventually I was amazed by the work the women did （not just in the sea， but for their families as well） and was sorry I didn't know about it before I went to South Korea in 2000。 。。。more
Judy Hansen
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I know little about Korea's history， so this book was a real eye-opener for me。 The story follows the history of Korea from 1938 to 2008 through the eyes of an illiterate sea diver girl， following her as she grows up to old age。 Some parts are difficult to read because Korea went through difficult occupations of Korean nationals， Japan and the USA。 Very well written and difficult to put down。 I would recommend this book。 I know little about Korea's history， so this book was a real eye-opener for me。 The story follows the history of Korea from 1938 to 2008 through the eyes of an illiterate sea diver girl， following her as she grows up to old age。 Some parts are difficult to read because Korea went through difficult occupations of Korean nationals， Japan and the USA。 Very well written and difficult to put down。 I would recommend this book。 。。。more
Amy Sawchenko
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I devoured this book in a single day—it was exceptional。 The bond between women can be complicated， heartbreaking and life giving， and we get to experience it all through these sea women。 You will be moved by their passion， courage and resilience， and floored by the fictional， and historical， events that take place in their lifetime。 I highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys historical fiction and stories about women and community。
Belén
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Se nota la increíble investigación para escribir este libro。 Es brutal tanto la historia como los personajes。 Sé que se va a quedar conmigo， ojalá poder no terminarlo nunca :（
Kaity
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Skillfully （if formulaically） written， but full of so much death， violence and sadness。 Would particularly not recommend for moms of small children。
Candy
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Fascinating & historically informative。 Compelling characters。
Elka
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book club liked it more than I did。 I liked learning about the culture and about Korea in WW2， but I felt the writing was leaden。
Amy
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I enjoyed the history and customs that I learned from this book but I thought it was too SLOW and did not care much about the characters。 Yet， I did see it through to the end。
Lauren
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（Rating 3。5） —- *****SOME SPOILERS AHEAD***** The introduction paragraph was great - I thought it really added a sense of urgency and tension and I liked that we got to see Young-sook’s personality！ Young-sook is the main character in this and although I did quite like her I sometimes felt her character was inconsistent or that she did things that I didn’t really understand。 For example， the beginning of the book focuses on Young-sook’s very close friendship with Mi-ja so I was shocked to see ho （Rating 3。5） —- *****SOME SPOILERS AHEAD***** The introduction paragraph was great - I thought it really added a sense of urgency and tension and I liked that we got to see Young-sook’s personality！ Young-sook is the main character in this and although I did quite like her I sometimes felt her character was inconsistent or that she did things that I didn’t really understand。 For example， the beginning of the book focuses on Young-sook’s very close friendship with Mi-ja so I was shocked to see how quickly Young-sook turned on Mi-ja when her marriage was arranged。 It wasn’t Mi-ja’s fault that she was chosen and instead of feeling pity for Mi-ja having to marry someone she didn’t want to， she only thinks of herself。 She is petty， mean spirited， cruel and jealous。 I can understand she was a teenager and teenagers can be very self involved but this was her best friend。 Never once did she try understanding this from Mi-ja’s point of view。 Never once does she put her own jealous feelings to one side to support Mi-ja during this huge change in her life。 Up to this point， they were like sisters and there had been no problems between them so this change in their relationship - well the change in Young-sook - felt like it happened so quickly。 Literally one second they are cuddling and talking about how they would never be without the other then the next Young-sook is only thinking about herself and her unwarranted feelings。Although I couldn’t really buy into the anger Young-sook had for Mi-ja， I did think her struggle to forgive Mi-ja was explored very well。 You then see how this trait in Young-sook’s character continues throughout her life， in particular， with her daughter。 You see how this inability to forgive has resulted in her not being able to move on。 Instead she holds onto this anger as this is the only way she feels she can remember her loved ones。 It’s really sad seeing this level of grief， and how she is unable to deal with。 It’s heartbreaking knowing this refusal to forgive meant she lost her daughter and resulted in her daughter dying believing her mother never forgave her。 It’s just another awful thing Young Sook will have to feel guilt about and it really shows the consequences of not being able to forgive people。The main thing I loved about this book though was the haenyeo women。 I loved seeing how they interacted with one another， their relationships， their humour， their supportiveness for one another （and their competitiveness）， their family and family drama and dynamics。 I also really loved learning about the traditions （although I did feel like this dragged on a bit around 20% in）。 I loved learning the fascinating history of the haenyeo women and I would definitely recommend reading up on the real life haenyeo women once you have read this。 It’s really fascinating and something I had never heard of。Overall this is a good book about blame， forgiveness， guilt， history and generational guilt set in a fascinating world。 。。。more
Marina Ortega
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https://www。cargadaconlibros。com/mini。。。 https://www。cargadaconlibros。com/mini。。。 。。。more
Christy Browning
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An interesting book。 It is full of history about the island of Jejue， Korea， and the female haenyeo culture。 There were a couple of times throughout when it was a little slow。
Anna
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Waves lap against the oblivious rituals of early life。 Friendship forged in potato fields， strengthened in the waters of seas in strange countries。 Two women whose wombs carry babies as they dive into the ocean to feed - themselves， their families and their arranged marriages。 Yet the love they share is untouched。 Until war comes by。When I read Ishmael Beah's story， I broke into tears， I couldn't go past the haunted images。 I read Persepolis in a numb peace。 Until in class， Prof。 R told us the r Waves lap against the oblivious rituals of early life。 Friendship forged in potato fields， strengthened in the waters of seas in strange countries。 Two women whose wombs carry babies as they dive into the ocean to feed - themselves， their families and their arranged marriages。 Yet the love they share is untouched。 Until war comes by。When I read Ishmael Beah's story， I broke into tears， I couldn't go past the haunted images。 I read Persepolis in a numb peace。 Until in class， Prof。 R told us the red of blood does not incite feeling so she uses Black。 Here， Lisa See uses sea flowers and friendship against fire and cold that is hungry to kill。 Mercilessly。What is the price of love？ Choices？ Destruction？ Madness？ Or forgiveness？ Why isn't friendship as simple as the days in which we drew pictures together？ I'll tell you - for we inhabit a world of men， determined to rip us apart。Don't expect prose that will drown you。 These are stories of a dying Haenyeo culture of the women of Jeju Island， set against times that test women， their rituals， their separate growth into women and mothers。 There's somewhere a Lila and Lenu feeling。 But the forces Mi-ja and Young face are far more terrible， because you feel the suffocation beneath your skin。 It's closer to home。 And you are reminded of the helplessness of your mothers。There are many theory worthy mentionables。 Wars that makes monsters of us， Capitalism， development that erases culture， prayers and songs of tradition and the fight of many women who take their bodies to fight against men and cold waters because the weight of their villages rest on them。This story is ultimately the story of two women in love - a love that seeps through sea water， narrated with a sensitivity boiled like rice and slippery sea meat。 Soft to touch。 Combustible in tears that escape for mistakes made in absentia。Just remember， the sea never leaves - like the memories of some friendships。 Her waters always return to replenish your dry heart。Read this one for the sea women。 。。。more
Sofie
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I do love history books which teach me things I didn't know before。 I knew next to nothing about the history in which this story takes place， and what a great story at that！ It's one of those well executed books which takes you through a lifetime by exploring the culture of the sea women and the history of Korea。 I do love history books which teach me things I didn't know before。 I knew next to nothing about the history in which this story takes place， and what a great story at that！ It's one of those well executed books which takes you through a lifetime by exploring the culture of the sea women and the history of Korea。 。。。more
Rachel Hood
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This was so moving， I think the story will stay with me for a while。 It was so sad in so many different ways， but I still really enjoyed it and learnt so much about Jeju’s history。
Soumya Suresh
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A heart-wrenching story of friendship， love， motherhood and so much more。 Learning about the Haenyeo has been such an eye-opening experience。 Their bravery， grit and perseverance is something I will keep in my heart forever。 Though the book is quite slow paced and detailed， the final few chapters are filled with so much pain and hardship that my heart was broken by the time I turned the last page。
Jan Armstrong
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Historical Fiction- From 1930 to present dayThe Island of Jeju -Korean -a staging point in the East South Sea。 Famous for its Haenyo- female deep sea abalone divers。This is a story of friendship， understanding and forgiveness。 And a window into a world and culture so different from ours。
Ninon
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Definitely not for the “I want a fun book to read” crowd， but I found the history of the women and the island absolutely fascinating。 The tragedies they endured were unspeakable， but sadly all based on fact。 I don’t even understand humans。
Whitney KT
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