Download The Island of Sea Women A Novel Lisa See Jennifer Lim 9781508266860 Books
Download As PDF : The Island of Sea Women A Novel Lisa See Jennifer Lim 9781508266860 Books
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 readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.
Download The Island of Sea Women A Novel Lisa See Jennifer Lim 9781508266860 Books
"I enjoy Lisa See’s storytelling and her characters. This is a very sad and at times brutal tale of what happened in Korea in the 1940s. I never heard of these specific events but now I am curious to learn more about this unique group of women divers"
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The Island of Sea Women A Novel Lisa See Jennifer Lim 9781508266860 Books Reviews :
The Island of Sea Women A Novel Lisa See Jennifer Lim 9781508266860 Books Reviews
- It's amazing the power of a book can have on a life and I am not talking about this one. Somewhere some nameless bureaucrat decided that the citizens of a Korean island, Jeju, needed copies of the book, Heidi, set in the Swiss Alps. Copies were distributed and for some reason the citizens fell in love with it. They sat around and read it as families and discussed it at work. It made a difference in people's lives. I just loved that story.
I have always admired Lisa See's books but I struggled with this one on several different levels. Yes, It was interesting story and I learned quite a bit but the violence in it was a real problem for me. At about 60% through I almost set it aside as it was so graphic. Yet I kept on and, in the end, I am glad I did.
It is the story of a matriarchal society where the women work as haenyeo divers. They dive in the ocean and harvest the sea's treasures including abalone and octopus. They have amazing body chemistry to withstand the cold and the hardship. The men stay home and tend the children and make light meals. Of course, it is not as good as it seems. Property is still in the man's name. They often take the women's wages and gamble and drink it away. As their daughters grow up they take over the child raising and food preparation and the men are left with nothing to do. As the women trudge home from a long day of sea harvesting, they come home and clean and cook and mind children. It's not as idyllic as it seems.
Because of Jeju's location, it has a long history of occupation first by the Japanese then the Americans. Both are cruel and there is massacre after massacre. Villages are burned and large burial grounds appear. Life is a constant struggle and they soon learn not to say anything because of all the informants to all the different competing military factions.
The story is told around two best friends's lives, Mi-ja and Young-sook. They grew up together and became divers and then their paths diverged after marriage and their struggles will break your heart. While I suspect most will be moved Young-sook, it is Mi-ja's story that grabbed my heart.
An interesting book that gave a glimpse into another way of life that I had no idea about before reading it. - I am an avid Lisa fan, and own 99% of all her published work. This novel doesn’t disappoint. I was swept away to another land, and learned about the heartbreaking events from back to back wars, and the awe inspiring actions of the haenyeo at a little place called Jeju.
Lisa’s books often cover a range of time periods in China, so this was a refreshing change that sweeps you away to Korea. I was involved with my characters, crying when they cried and laughing when they laughed.
Ms. See has once again managed to entwine an amazing tale of womanhood, survival, and courage into the historical wonders and atrocities that happened in a land and time far away. I regretted finishing the book, and at the same time, I am already planning to read it a second time very soon. Like all of Lisa’s books, this book is something you will want to add to your collection, so you can revisit the characters again and again. - Two friends spend their lives loving and hating each other, being haunted by the mistakes affecting them and their haenyeo community. They are women divers who have learned to dive without the use of diving masks, oxygen or any other supportive equipment. They rely on learning to breathe in vital air and breathe out the song of sumbisori, air let out with a unique sound for each woman.
They live on Jeju Island off the southern coast of Korea, a land they believe was created by the Shaman Goddesses, creating a land of lava rocks, cones and walls. The residents have created a matriarchal society loved by each resident. Their story is a celebration of life!
Young-Sook has tremendous respect for her mother who is Chief of the haenyeo in one of the local communities until she dies in an accident while diving. Another young woman has another accident that changes her life forever. Their work guarantees survival, especially in the troublesome times that soon follow. Jeju Island residents are the subjects of the Japanese Army who have invaded the country and mandated laws of behavior, inflicting death on many for the slightest infraction of rules.
Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator. This reputation haunts her for her entire life. Even though Young-Sook’s mother takes her in with kindness and teachers her to be a haenyeo, Young Sook’s grandmother despises her and will never trust her, a belief that will literally become part of Mi-ja’s choices during one of the most tragic, devastating moments of the story. Young Sook marries the love of her life but Mi-ja marries a man who is evil personified, an act none will understand until it is too late and after too much betrayal and damage. An uprising called the 4.3 incident instigates the death of thousands. The deaths to three members of Young-Sook’s family are tragically depicted, all because of Mi-ja’s response to a request begged by her best friend.
The love between these two women will stay strong, although readers will for a time doubt the primitive and passionate aspects of that love. Scientists and sociologists will make this community a subject of lengthy study and amazed respect! It is the children of these women who will clarify truth for them and the readers. These pages commemorate a truly unique and amazing story that readers will never forget! This is astonishing historical fiction, a must read for all! - I enjoy Lisa See’s storytelling and her characters. This is a very sad and at times brutal tale of what happened in Korea in the 1940s. I never heard of these specific events but now I am curious to learn more about this unique group of women divers
- Love all of Lisa See,s books and this doesn't disappoint! Enjoyed learning about the seas and what those women did for their families.And how forgiving or not forgiving can alter your life.
