The Island of sea women :Book Review



Title : The island of sea women 
Author: Lisa See
Genre: Historical Fiction 

I had read the author's earlier book titled 'The tea girl of hummingbird lane' and was quite impressed with the narrative. The island of sea women was equally impressive if not more. 

This book explores the story of 2 women from different backgrounds who work together in their village’s female diving collective. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator who lives with her uncle and aunt in the Korean island of Jeju. Young-Sook is born into the Haenyeo clan who are primarily divers. They develop a close bond over several incidents that occur during the dives. 

Set in the time of 1930s and 1940s, the book traverses through political situations like Japanese colonization, World war 2 and the Korean War.  It showcases the severe impact of war on several lives. This includes indiscriminate killings and unsafe conditions for women especially. 

Despite their close bond, unforeseen external forces causes a rift in their friendship. Years roll by to a new generation who are educated and equipped with sophisticated technology. Will Young sook move on by finding answers? Will she acquire the ability to forgive and forget? 

Poignant and engrossing, this book exposes readers to powerful women divers of Jeju island who engage in dangerous work to provide for their families. There are creatures beneath the ocean that are stronger than humans which makes this profession quite life threatening. It also showcases the superstitions and practices of the village folk. Themes of friendship, family, politics and forgiveness are explored largely by the author. 

The island of sea women will take you through depths of human emotions and it’s complexities. A book that will linger on your mind and advocates a strong message- To understand everything is to forgive.

Comments

KParthasarathi said…
The good review evokes an interest to get a copy and read.Thanks

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