My Rating: 5 stars
Lisa See is now officially on my favorite authors list,
despite the fact that I have not yet read every single one of her novels (which
I intend to rectify one of these days). Ever since reading her
previous work The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (a book that I absolutely
adored), I had been anxiously awaiting the release of See’s next novel — even
though it took 2 years, the wait was definitely worth it! With her newest
work, The Island of Sea Women, Lisa See delivers yet another richly
detailed, emotional tale that explores female friendships, family
relationships, and the bond between mother and daughter, all against the
historical backdrop of political unrest in Korea during the 1930s and 1940s (and
beyond that), as well as spanning multiple wars.
As the story opens, we are introduced to Kim Young-sook
as an old woman in her 80s, one of the few remaining haenyeo (female diver) still living on the small Korean island
of Jeju. Though long-retired from the work of diving and harvesting from
the ocean that had been a way of life for her family since childhood and later
in her adult life, helped her raise her own family, Young-sook continues to
have a special relationship with the sea, which is like a second home to her.
As she sits on the shore sorting algae, she encounters a Korean-American
family — a couple and their two children — who ask her specifically if she
knows Han Mi-ja, to which she answers that she does not know her. It
turns out that Mi-ja also used to be a haenyeo, but not only that, she and
Young-sook were childhood friends, once as close as sisters — but that was
several decades ago. What caused Young-sook and Mi-Ja’s once tight-knit
friendship to break apart to the point of no return? The family’s visit
stirs up memories of a long ago past and a time period marked by pain,
suffering, as well as tragedy, but most significantly, it leads Young-sook on a
personal journey of self-reflection that unearths long-buried secrets about the
two women’s relationship.
As we’ve come to expect with all of Lisa See’s novels,
this story was well-researched and masterfully told in a way that gave us as
readers an authentically-felt rendering of history told through richly
developed fictional characters who always manage to make their way into our
hearts. One of the things I love about See’s novels is her focus on
strong women characters and this story was certainly no exception — as See
writes in her Author’s Note, Jeju women were held in high regard for their
“strength, independence, and persistence” and all the haenyeo characters in the
story, from the older generation of Sun-sil and Do-saeng to the later
generation in Young-sook, Mi-ja, the Kang sisters, etc. all personified these
traits and more. I loved all of the characters, but Young-sook especially
made an impact on me, even with her stubbornness and other flaws that made her
difficult at times. I also appreciated the historical elements that See
was able to weave so seamlessly into the context of the story. From
Japanese colonialism to World War II to American occupation and the
establishment of the Korean republic, through the Korean War all the way to
modern day, each time period had an impact on the plot, but it is the April
Third Incident in 1949 that plays the most significant role in Yoon-sook and
Mi-ja’s story. Prior to reading this book, I had actually never heard
about the April Third Incident and was floored to find out the extent of the
horrors — the burning of 70% of the island’s villages, the massacre of close to
80,000 people, the displacement of several hundred thousand residents, and then
to add insult to injury, for over 50 years, survivors were forced to keep quiet
about what had happened due to the threat of death or retaliation under the
guilt-by-association policy. As always, See did a tremendous amount of
research for this novel and it shows.
Another aspect I love about Lisa See’s novels is the
emotional depth that she is able to bring out with her stories. I read
much of the last third of this book with tears in my eyes and the ending
actually tore me apart. Young-sook is another of See’s characters whom I
know will stay with me for a long time to come (much like Li-yan from The
Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane still comes into my mind from time to
time).
Beautifully written with wonderfully developed characters
and a moving, unforgettable back story, The Island of Sea Women is yet
another Lisa See masterpiece that absolutely deserves to be read. Highly recommended without a doubt!
Received ARC from
Scribner / Simon & Schuster via both NetGalley and Edelweiss.
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