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    The Island of Sea Women: A Novel
    The Island of Sea Women: A Novel
    The Island of Sea Women: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    The Island of Sea Women: A Novel

    Written by Lisa See

    Narrated by Jennifer Lim

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    “A mesmerizing new historical novel” (O, The Oprah Magazine) from Lisa See, the bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, about female friendship and devastating family secrets on a small Korean island.

    Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends who 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 find it impossible to ignore their differences. The Island of Sea Women takes place over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War, 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. 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 forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point.

    “This vivid…thoughtful and empathetic” novel (The New York Times Book Review) illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge and the men take care of the children. “A wonderful ode to a truly singular group of women” (Publishers Weekly), The Island of Sea Women is a “beautiful story…about the endurance of friendship when it’s pushed to its limits, and you…will love it” (Cosmopolitan).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateMar 5, 2019
    ISBN9781508266877
    Author

    Lisa See

    Lisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the Historymaker’s Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women.

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    Reviews for The Island of Sea Women

    4.5/5

    1,199 ratings95 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be an exceptional and intense story with great historic value. It beautifully narrates the heartbreakingly sad but fascinating insight into a very different world. The book explores the resilience and courage of women in a particular culture and sheds light on a tumultuous period in the history of Korea and Japan. It also highlights the consequences and hardships of our actions around the world and the incredible cruelty that human beings can inflict on each other. Overall, this book is an amazing travel through time and an important history lesson.

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      A hole life in a magic place in tragic times and not only. History, tradition, progress , tragedies, love, friendship, loss , pain, anger , forgiveness. Womanhood. Family. Amazing novel, a must!!!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Captivating fiction describing real women and their unique calling. It opened my eyes to many things I knew nothing about—especially how the Americans treated the Koreans post WWII.
    • 5/5
      Expertly woven story combining history, value of community, women’s rights, family and forgiveness.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful complex book, you’ll learn so much while being absorbed in this amazing story. The audiobook is terrific also. Thank you!
    • 3/5
      Interesting information about a completely new subject -- the divers. 20th Century Korean history. Well documented. Tended to drag--(Audible)
    • 5/5
      Well written historical fiction takes you on a journey to a hundred years ago in South Korea, through occupation and the Korean War. All through the eyes of bold women who keep their communities and family’s going through it all.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful culture. I was enthralled by the strength of the characters.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful book, just beware that you might learn some things about Korean history that are quite unpleasant
    • 5/5
      i loved the female characters the intergenerational saga the unashamed vibe of ocean's grand presence in this story
    • 5/5
      An important history told they the love and betrayals of best friends.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful story of friendship, love, and sorrow. Jennifer Lim’s beautiful narration brought me to tears more than once!
    • 5/5
      Very nice. I finished the entire story. Which is not normal for me. I usually skip back and forth with books
    • 5/5
      A breath. A breath. A breath. Three simple phrases attached to who we are as people. As well as who we are to each other. I personally loved this book. A complex story surrounded by historical tragedy and loss. Yet, also a story embedded with deep rooted friendships- the extent of sorrow mixed in with the lack of or need of forgiveness. I found myself intertwined in the characters reflected in this story. I saw my own life experiences interspersed in the main characters. The ending helped me understand the necessity of just breathing out the toxicity and breathing in peace. This is my second book from Lisa See, again, I am mesmerized by her work. I highly recommend!
    • 5/5
      This is a story that brings the gift of revelation: for those that may be harboring some thing that makes them hard of heart, heart to free it…

      It is also a story of a time in history, that as Americans, we know so little about because we do not teach it to our children. The consequences and hardships of our actions around the world, and how it impacts other cultures. Really we refuse to even look at what’s happened in our own country with our indigenous population.

      This is also a story of the incredible cruelty that human beings can do to each other, and a reminder of the situations around the world in our modern time where cruelty is happening & we do nothing…
    • 5/5
      I love this book so much it’s just so amazing
    • 5/5
      Exceptional reading for an exceptional story with great historic value!
    • 5/5
      Simply the best! Everything about this book deserves five stars.
    • 5/5
      This novel is an amazing travel both in time and to an exotic place.

      It took me a long time to finish it because there are parts of it related to South Korea's history that was gut wrenching and down right unbearable. I almost couldn't get back to it for fear or reading more angst than anyone can cope with. Then I decided that I owe it to these amazing people to hear their story.

      It may be fiction but it's based on real facts and it's worth discovering the resilience and courage of women part of a very particular culture.
    • 5/5
      This is a WONDERFUL story.
      While not being exactly a true story, the specific characters not actually been real, the stories of these women, their families, their communities and their country is all true.
      I found myself weeping loudly, wetly and breathlessly after one of the hardest scenes described of Jeju island during the insurrections against the government set by the USA.
      The story of the friendship between these two women is beautiful, deep, astonishing and full of love, hurt, smiles, water, growth and pain.
      It is one of the best books I have read in a long time.
      The communities of the haenyeo women are fascinating. Hopefully I will get to meet one some day.
    • 5/5
      I captivating story of an unfamiliar world to American ears. It is beautifully constructed and narrated.
    • 3/5
      Mixed feelings about this one. It was a really good picture to the haaenyeo, and it depicts interesting things about the powerful Korean women... but I found the story a bit too long. Need to think a bit more about it.
    • 3/5
      The book was great in the beginning. It was very Intriguing to learn about the sea women of Jeju Island in South Korea. Then as the chapters went on the book became war focused and very graphic. I skipped some chapters because of the graphic details of war. Other than that i enjoyed it and the ending was pretty good. I
    • 5/5
      All the history. Learned things I’ve never heard about before. Super super sad, still well written and worth reading.
    • 5/5
      Brutal story. Beautiful writing. And I learned quite a bit of world history. Recommend that you listen to every single word.
    • 5/5
      Great book, lovely listen. I would recommend. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
    • 5/5
      Lisa See’s gift is the connection she gives readers to other times, other cultures and in some magic way I can’t explain to other selves. I learned so much about Korea, the terrible toll a once unified country suffered under colonial powers after WW2…it is staggering what we do not (and maybe don’t even have time to) learn about how war’s rippling effects reverberated long after the Japanese surrendered.
    • 5/5
      Learning about a culture of women divers and learning about the history of Korea was interesting and sad. The strength of the women was amazing. The recounting of their spiritual selves was also wonderful. The transition of the main character very real.
    • 5/5
      This was probably the most tragic book I’ve read in a very long time. Beautifully written, but I was not prepared for so much sadness.
    • 2/5
      This book is like a makjang K-drama, and a bad one at that. The story is dry and facts are presented like a history book. Dialogues flow unnaturally, not even resemble native writing.
    • 5/5
      Amazing amazing book. Finally a book about female friendship and female communities that feels so real it hurts. All time favorite