I listened to this story as a Netgalley audiobook!
I enjoyed this historical fiction story of 
one girl from Haenyeoo family! The story has 2 perspectives and timelines and I thoroughly enjoyed one perspective and timeline over the other. I would have liked more from the past but overall liked the book!
I recommend for historical fiction lovers.

The Mermaid from Jeju is a beautiful and mystical historical novel about what happened on the Korean island of Jeju after World War II.  I first recognized the main character, Junja as a haeneyo deep sea diver from reading Lisa See's The Island of Sea Women, but this is a very different story.  It follows a family's progress from 1945 on Jeju to the United States in 2001.  Author Sumi Hahn weaves together multiple points of view, timelines and mythical tales into a story that is both beautiful and horrifying. In the audio book, Cindy Kay and Raymond Lee's beautiful voices soften the impact of harsh lives in war-torn Korea and they truly capture the emotion of the characters as their lives are ripped apart.  I am torn in reviewing it, I loved the stories of community, resilience, love, history and mythology but could barely tolerate reading about the atrocities of war.  My favourite part was the author's note at the end, which put the whole story into perspective with the author's own life experience.

The Mermaid from Jeju is a beautiful and mystical historical novel about what happened on the Korean island of Jeju after World War II.  I first recognized the main character, Junja as a haeneyo deep sea diver from reading Lisa See's The Island of Sea Women, but this is a very different story.  It follows a family's progress from 1945 on Jeju to the United States in 2001.  Author Sumi Hahn weaves together multiple points of view, timelines and mythical tales into a story that is both beautiful and horrifying. In the audio book, Cindy Kay and Raymond Lee's beautiful voices soften the impact of harsh lives in war-torn Korea and they truly capture the emotion of the characters as their lives are ripped apart.  I am torn in reviewing it, I loved the stories of community, resilience, love, history and mythology but could barely tolerate reading about the atrocities of war.  My favourite part was the author's note at the end, which put the whole story into perspective with the author's own life experience.

The beginning reminded me a bit of Lisa See’s Island of Sea Women. But the book quickly diverges into it’s own book. The Island of Sea Women went into much more detail (particularly in regards to the life of Haenyeo women) and provided me with the background to better enjoy The Mermaid from Jeju.

An interesting story which weaves together the life of a Haenyeo young woman with the story of her husband who survives her; intermixed with spirits and ghosts and tales of Korea, as well as the Korean April 3 incident.  

The ending of the book seemed to merge spirit world with reality and was a little confusing; but I think it was intentional.

Thank you NetGalley and the author/Sumi Hahn for the opportunity to listen to this audio in exchange for an honest review.

The first time I saw this beautiful cover on Goodreads, I was instantly curious about this book and when I saw the audiobook on Netgalley, I knew it was the perfect chance to find out what this book was about. In it, you'll follow a girl named Junja after World War II. It's set in the Jeju island off the coast of South Korea. However, this book is set in the past but also in the present.

I wish I could say I fell in love with this story but unfortunately, I feel like I wasn't smart enough for it and that my mind didn't always understood what was going on. I was lost most of the time but it's a me problem and not a book problem... I really wanted to love this one but ultimately, my enjoyment wasn't there.


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Seattle food writer has authored an interesting account of life on Jeju Island Korea. After World War II, life does not return to normal because the Americans have arrived to fight the communists. In 1944, Junja, 18 years old, offers to do an annual job for her mother, that of taking a basket of abalone to trade for a piglet. It’s a daunting task, climbing a mountain with a heavy basket. In meeting the scholarly son, a new world is opened to Junja. She’s a haenyeo, a female diver, similar to the pearl divers in Japan. She’s learned her craft from her grandmother and mother. After returning from her climb to the pig farmer’s, she discovers her mother has been beaten to death by the nationalists in their hunt for communists. Junja’s life is hard. Her grandmother is a strong woman and in secret a leader in the Korean independence cause. After the tumult of the Korean conflict is over, she marries a soldier with whom she has shared many dangerous days. And the past is the past, at least until her death when her husband, Dr. Moon, returns to Korea to consult a shaman because he is haunted by ghosts. The story is complex but the underlying theme of the magical creation of Korea, the importance of dreams, and Korean superstition make this much more than historical fiction. It weaves the importance of the past and beliefs of people. The narrators and the ability to portray a variety of voices was an important part of the enjoyment of the audiobook.

This audiobook was a beautiful sweeping tale of a Korean family’s physical, emotional, and spiritual journeys. Set in Korea after WWII, this piece of historical fiction was beautifully rendered. The elements of mysticism were fascinating, and I was not surprised to learn that this book had its beginnings in the author’s  real-life otherworldly experience. Shamans, gods, rich symbolism, and dreams helped this family make sense of their lives and their destinies. This audiobook was beautiful. 

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, publisher, and narrators for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The opinions in this review are entirely my own. 

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The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn
Narrated by:Cindy Kay; Raymond Lee
Publication Date: December 8, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“In the aftermath of World War II, Goh Junja is a girl just coming into her own. She is the latest successful deep sea diver in a family of strong haenyeo. Confident she is a woman now, Junja urges her mother to allow her to make the Goh family's annual trip to Mt. Halla, where they trade abalone and other sea delicacies for pork. Junja, a sea village girl, has never been to the mountains, where it smells like mushrooms and earth. While there, she falls in love with a mountain boy Yang Suwol, who rescues her after a particularly harrowing journey. But when Junja returns one day later, it is just in time to see her mother take her last breath, beaten by the waves during a dive she was taking in Junja's place. 

Spiraling in grief, Junja sees her younger siblings sent to live with their estranged father. Everywhere she turns, Junja is haunted by the loss of her mother, from the meticulously tended herb garden that has now begun to sprout weeds, to the field where their bed sheets are beaten. She has only her grandmother and herself. But the world moves on without Junja.

The political climate is perilous. Still reeling from Japan's forced withdrawal from the peninsula, Korea is forced to accommodate the rapid establishment of US troops. Junja's canny grandmother, who lived through the Japanese invasion that led to Korea's occupation understands the signs of danger all too well. When Suwol is arrested for working with and harboring communists, and the perils of post-WWII overtake her homelands, Junja must learn to navigate a tumultuous world unlike anything she's ever known.”
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Thank you to @dreamscape_media @alcovepress for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Beautiful. This book was inspired by true events on Korea's Jeju Island. But there was also the theme of fantasy, magic and myth intertwined. I appreciated the narrators’ interpretation of the story as they gave it a more lyrical and poetic rhythm. However, it was still intense and haunting. The story was told in two POVs, but it really was more about Junja, her coming of age and her family. I’ve been enjoying these types of historical fiction told on the perspectives of those caught in the wars. Because we should be reminded of those who were innocent, or those who were fighting because they believe in their country. This was a story of resilience, courage and survival. It transported me to Jeju island, wanting to be one of these women defined and known by their strengths.

This was a beautiful and intense historical fiction read that takes place during WWII. This story is told in 2 POVs, Junja and her husband. This is a story made me cry (quite a bit) but I still loved it. The author did a fantastic job making these characters feel real that you can’t help but have emotions for them. I just felt like the ending was wrapped up too quickly. Otherwise fantastic story by a debut author. I can’t wait to see what else she will create.

As a former English teacher in South Korea, I was eager to read this book. As I listened to it, I found myself pulled back into the Republic of Korea with every Korean word and each historical mention. The author writes in a beautiful descriptive way, from the way she describes the characters to the words she chose to detail the outside nature in Korea. This historical fiction book is a must read for lovers or inquisitors of the continent of Asia or the country of South Korea, as well as those who love a magical tale.