The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Published 3 March 2019 by Scribner
4 stars
I received an ARC from Scribner through Net Galley

“The burden – the tangible, physical proof of my labors – felt like money, opportunity, and love" (See).

This is a story of family, friendship, and community. It is also a story about what can be lost in anger and fear. The story centers around two friends: Young-sook and Mi-ja. Also, there is a modern day frame story that adds a lighter element to the often-painful history of the two girls/women and their community.

The writing is excellent, and I was captivated by the women in the story. However, this is not an easy story. In fact, I started reading this book in February but ended up reading it in bits because at times, it was just too much for me.

Still, I loved the story of the haenyeo and how different the life on Jeju was than most of the rest of the world at the time (and even now). Young-sook says, “...when I was a girl, I obeyed my mother; when I was a wife, I had equal say to my husband; and now that I am a widow, my only son has to obey me.” The men watched the children and did a little cooking, and they held any positions of power, but the women, especially the haenyeo, were the center of the family. Do-saeng says, “not many men can do without a wife, while all women can do without a husband.” There are many comments like these in the book, and they elicit laughs from the haenyeo (and the reader). There is a feminist trail throughout the whole book, but much like today, despite all of the advances, there is still little equality, and that is shown in many ways throughout the story.

Overall, I really liked this story, and I think it will stick with me. I gave it 4 stars and not 5 because it was just too heavy at times, so that is my issue. I still encourage everyone to read it!

A beautiful and emotional novel of strong women and culture. This is the first book I have read by Lisa See and it will not be the last. A book to be cherished but it will shake you to your core.

This book follows the ancient Korean Haenyeo culture on the small island of Jeju. For generations, Haenyeo deep sea dive for sea creatures in order to provide for their families while the men stay home to care for the children. Two young girls, Young-sook and Mi-ja, who come from very different backgrounds become best friends and their lives become intertwined.

I loved how the story was told from the perspective of Young-sook. The story shows Young-sook as she grows up as a teenager in the 1930's. We learn about her family and her experiences as a diver. We get to read of Young-sook's friendship with Mi-ja as it grows and is also strained by the tragedy of war.

Then we also get to experience the story told from the year of 2008 when Young-sook is in her eighties. She is still diving in Jeju.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced readers copy of The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a big Lisa See fan and I have read almost all of her books, but somehow, none as captivated me as much as ‘Snowflower and the secret fan’.
I have been yearning for that feeling of breathing and living the story.
As a fan of historical fiction, there is always a lot to learn in all Lisa See’s books, the research is stellar. She is a master at transporting the reader to a different culture in a different era.
I have truly enjoyed learning about Jeju island, The Korean history and the matriarchal diving society that is the backbone of the book.

The story follows two of the women divers, Young-Sook and her friend Mi-Ja through an eighty years time span, during the Japanese occupation, during the division of Korea, through the American take over, during and after the Korean War to the present day.
With all Lisa See’s books, the women are strong, their connections are deep and their falling out are life shattering.

My complains about this books are the overuse of words ‘Haenyeo’, ’Sumisori’, 'Bulteok’,’Grandmother Seolmunde ‘ which bored me a little, and the similarity to 'White Chrysanthemum’ by ML Bracht with excess sympathy for the Korean victims and the endless animosity between Korea and Japan still active today.
The book is a little slow going, but I found it engaging.


I am very thankful to Simon and Schuster and Lisa See for sending me this eARC. It was a wonderful gift.
Publication date was March 2019.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity. I NEVER take these for granted. At this time though, I will not be able to provide feedback. Due to personal matters, I am currently out of the country until September. Please receive my apologies hoping this may not affect me in any future requests.

Lisa See's novel, The Island of Sea Women, is set on Jeju, an island off the coast of Korea. Young-sook and Mi-ja are best friends who are learning how to become divers, like Young-sook's mother. In their culture, the women are the breadwinners of the family, while the men stay home and take care of the young children and the home.



Diving for fish (abelone and octopus are prized) can be dangerous, and the women work as a team to keep each other safe, but accidents do happen. Young-sook becomes betrothed to a teacher, but she is jealous that Mi-ja has captured the attention of a handsome businessman who lives in the city. Young-sook and her husband happily welcome three children into their lives. Mi-ja and her husband have a son, but Mi-ja's marriage is troubled.

The Island of Sea Women begins during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and the people of Jeju fear the soldiers. When the Korean War begins, their country is torn apart as Russia and China back North Korean communists and the United States back South Korea. See describes what became known as the 4.3 Incident, where Koreans massacred their own people, including many people on Jeju, while the Americans did nothing to stop it. It is told in horrific detail, and the losses suffered by Young-sook cause a permanent fracture between her and Mi-ja.

The book begins and ends in 2008 as a family of Americans have come to Jeju, now a popular tourist destination. A family of four are looking for anyone who knew a family member who used to be a diver on Jeju. Young-sook avoids the tourists in general, happy to just spend her time on the beach, but this family, particularly the teenage daughter, is persistent.

The Island of Sea Women"is the kind of book you get lost in, taking the reader to an unfamiliar world. See clearly did a great deal of research to create her brilliant novel (as her acknowledgments pages attest), and it adds to the authenticity of the story.

It is an emotional book, one that will bring tears to your eyes as you read about the inhumanity people inflict during war. But at its heart, it is a story of the friendship of two girls and what happens when that friendship is tested. This is a must-read book.

This was my mom's very favorite author -- she was fascinated by historical fiction about the lives and customs of Asian women. I know that if she were here she would be reading this book RIGHT NOW and it felt apt for me to be reading it on my first Mother's Day without her. So this is a very good book about a group of women on the Korean island of Jeju who are called haenyo -- they are divers for rare seafood that they then sell to support their families. Their society is matriarchal and so while the women dive, their husbands care for their children and home. GIRL POWER! Unfortunately, what is a beautiful although hard life is devastated by the impact of war and the aftermath. There is a very compelling storyline here about friendship, loss, perceptions of betrayal and forgiveness. This is a very good read. Recommended!

The author doesn't disappoint in her newest book. Having read previous of See's books, I am always struck by the dearth of background knowledge and material that she provides.
The story centers on the Sea Women of Jeju Island in Korea. The history of the sea women along with their family composition and traditions were fascinating. It was especially interesting to note the transformation of the roles of men and women in their society.
The friendship of the two main characters, Mi-ja and Young-sook, encompassed so much by including the history of the country pre- and post- World War II. I learned so much yet was also enthralled by the relationship of 2 women over decades dealing with the pressure of history and love.

Early in the book, I wasn’t feeling the love but I kept reading because I have faith in Lisa See. By the end of the book I was very glad that I had continued because it gives a wonderful history of the culture of the Haenyeo and the island of Jeju. The fictional story was very informative of the times as well as very tragic.

I had read White Chrysanthemum and first learned about the island of Jeju and the Haenyeo from that book. The Island of Sea Women is a fascinating story and describes the women and their families during the Korean war and afterward. It's not a cheery happy book, the families suffered greatly and it wasn't easy to read about.

A deeply moving book for sure, and definitely a worthy entry to Korean War historical fiction.

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love all of Lisa See's books. This one is a bit different as it's about women divers in Korea, on a matriarchal island. The tale of these women is incredible, how strong they are and what they endured during the war. I have read another book on the same subject matter so it was not new to me. For those who have never read about the sea women you will learn a great deal thanks to See's wonderful research. She seamlessly weaves the true story of the sea women into an enthralling story that with both impress you and break your heart.

Enjoyed the history, personalities and story of this island of women divers but it could have been shorter and tighter.

Mi-ja and Young-sook are haenyeo, the female divers whose work feds and sustains them throughout their lives on the small Korean island of Jeju. Friends from childhood, their lives span
the Japanese colonial era in the 1930s and 40s and two wars thereafter. See brilliantly depicts a culture trapped between two empires, two young girls shaped by the matriarchal discipline of their dangerous work, and a friendship that survives those forces but is eventually destroyed by the choices they make in love and marriage,
This is Lisa See at her best!

If you'd like a historical fiction book and want to learn about the island and women of Jeju then this is the book for you. I loved that I got to learn about a whole new culture and the women there were the breadwinners so it was a complete role reversal. It was interesting reading about the relationships of the characters. While this was a good read there was just something that let me put this book down and not "have" to read it and that's why I gave it a 3.

Outstanding historical fiction, made more interesting by its setting on the island of Jeju and the matrifocal society. Highly recommended.

I love Lisa See. I always gobble up her books that have her Chinese heritage as theme. There have been maybe one or two that I didn't like as well, but still wanted to continue reading to find out what happens to the characters.

I don't know why this book went so wrong, but it is the first See book that I haven't wanted to finish.

I have read almost 25% of the book and there still is no story line. There are a couple of characters, but no plot! The book reads like a National Geographic article on the sea women. Perhaps because she is writing about a culture this time that is not her own, she had to do meticulous research. But somehow she was unable to turn that research into a novel.

With no story to follow there is no interest in reading to the end. The 2 stars I am giving is for her an interesting article on the sea women, and as an article, it is well written.

I would give this book 3.5 stars because the narrative style was mostly: this happened, that happened, we did this, we did that. Also, the book didn't follow one or two main characters throughout, but repeatedly changed to focus on other characters and then other characters and so on. However, I had never heard of these female divers and learning about their life and the culture surrounding them was fascinating. Also, Jeju Island's part in WWII and its aftermath was new to me--and so, so tragic. I really admire the people's resilience. Anyway, the book was eye-opening!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Scribner and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Island of Sea Women. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

On the Korean island of Jeju, the privilege of being a haenyeo (female diver) is so powerful that women hope for daughters to continue the tradition. Despite often being the primary wage earners in their households, with their husbands the caregivers for the children, haenyeo and women in general are still subservient to men. The novel sees Jeju transform, beginning with Japanese colonialism in the 1930's and continuing through World War II, the Korean War, and beyond.

The turmoil that engulfs the village is echoed in the relationship between two young girls, Mi-ja and Young-sook. Best friends who are given the opportunity to work with the all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother, the girls become women in a time fraught with danger. Can friendship survive when the choice is between life and death?

I really wanted to love The Island of Sea Women, particularly because of its historical significance. I knew little about the haenyeo before reading this novel and I found the women fascinating. The author clearly did her research, documenting a time in Korean history that may not be known to many. The problem I had with the novel was that the author spent too much time developing the history between the characters and not enough time on the historical aspects. I understand that the author wanted to establish a foundation for Mi-ja and Young-sook's friendship, but she took too long to get to the meat of the story. The haenyeo are fascinating women, for their resiliency both in the water and on land. The Island of Sea Women documents some dark times in Korean history, but does not give it the prominence it deserves. That being said, author Lisa See has skills in crafting good historical fiction, placing her well developed characters into a realistic framework. Readers who like historical fiction may like The Island of Sea Women.

I've loved many of Lisa See's previous books, but The Island of Sea Women felt different to me. While I enjoyed reading about a different culture- the haenyeo women of Jeju- I felt that there was no emotional connection between the characters. It was like I was supposed to care about the protagonist and her family, but I didn't.

I loved the careful attention to detail, especially about the matrilineal society. As a western reader, I don't often come across accounts of matrilineal societies. The haenyeo culture in The Island of Sea Women presents men as the sentimental, dreamy ones, with women as the loud, hard workers.

While not See's most emotive or character driven work, I still enjoyed reading this book for the careful research.

In this well researched, illuminating novel exploring the haenyeo culture of Jeju Island in Korea, that of the the titular sea women, Lisa See has opened up a portal to a time and place far removed from my Western life. The reader sees events through the eyes of Young-Sook from her childhood and beginning as a “baby diver” during the years of Japanese occupation, through World War Two, post war occupation by the U.S. military and virulent anti-communist activity, and on to the end of the century.

This book shows some of the major benefits of well written historical fiction: it opens up a previously unknown culture, exploring actual historical events through the careful use of well defined characters. It shows us the lives of women on this island, women who form an all-female diving collective which supports the village and individually supports each family. Then it shows us the friendship of two young girls as they approach that early age to enter the sea with the older girls and women. The complications of war, culture and misunderstanding disrupt this friendship as the island too changes over the years.

I highly recommend this intriguing historical fiction as an introduction to a place not many have experienced.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See focuses on the story of Young-sook and Mi-ja, two friends growing up on Jeju. Through their stories, it also depicts the history of Japanese colonialism and the Korean war in the 1930s and '40s as well as female diver collectives called haenyeo, who provide for their families by diving and harvesting from the sea.

Now this book is both sad and slow, but those are two qualities that I often enjoy in books. Since it also focused on female friendship, this book was pretty much made for me. I quite enjoyed this book.