The Island of Sea Women by Lisa SeeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A captivating, multi-generational family saga set on the South Korean Island of Jeju. Beautifully written, it is a story of female friendship, motherhood, suffering, and forgiveness. But the most compelling parts of this book hold the history of this island through the war-torn 20th century and the fierce, remarkable Haenyeo women.
In the not-so-distant past, this island’s inhabitants were sustained by the Haenyeo women – free divers whose labors provided food for the families. They were the respected breadwinners in this matriafocal society where most of the men raised the children while the women dived in the ocean for their food. This book tells the tale of Young-sook and Mi-ja. You will never forget their stories and all they endured. It is fiction but this author does an amazing job layering the history of Japanese occupation before WW2 and the presence of Americans after WW2.
“Every woman who enters the sea carries a coffin on her back,” she warned the gathering. “In this world, in the undersea world, we tow the burdens of a hard life. We are crossing between life and death every day”.
Some died, as the work was very dangerous. They bravely handle these deaths and moved on with their work. There are still Haenyeo women on the island - some over 80 years old – but they are many fewer in numbers and, sadly, they may not survive modernity.
It is believed that the Haenyeo women are uniquely adapted to withstand the freezing temperatures. Their vitality is the stuff of legends and this book captures it brilliantly!
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