The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Best friends Mi-ja and Young-sook are old enough to begin working in the sea with their village's all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook's mother. Despite their love for each other, Mi-ja and Young-sook's differences are impossible to ignore. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and she will forever be marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother's position leading the divers in their village. Beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, through the Korean War and its aftermath, up to the present, the residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. -- adapted from publisher info.

This is a well-written book about a culture and a place that I was completely unaware of, and a story about friendship and community that is common to all women. We were so lucky to be able to chat with the author when we discussed this book in my book club. Ms. See shared with me ahead of time about her friend's tea company and I was able to enhance our book club with a tea tasting and some Korean sweets. It was really fun! (https://www.banateacompany.com/pages/book-club-tea-tasting-kit-korean.html)
This story follows some characters through a lifetime of change - cultural, societal, technological and governmental change. It deals with loss in many ways - death, loss of friendship, loss of a way of life. It was compelling to learn about a society of women Haenyeo who provide so much to each other in a group setting and dynamic that will be familiar to any woman in any culture. The Haenyeo provide protection, food, knowledge, power, purpose, friendship, community, feedback, accountability, laughter and love to each other. It's hard to say what struck me the most about The Island of Sea Women, but perhaps it is the author's skill that wove together a part of history that was new to me with a story about relationships that will resonate with many. This also made this a wonderful book club choice, because there was so much to discuss.

This was a beautifully composed tale of love, loss, friendship, heartbreak, strength (lots of it), resilience, trauma, and forgiveness.

Lately, my exploration of East Asian Literature has been leading me to uncover a lot of history and associative trauma that were uncharted territories to me. With this book, I was able to explore a dying tradition, an almost unique societal structure, and a tale of undying strength and resilience in the face of hardships.

Lisa See is truly a wonderful writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of her works.

A very moving and compelling read! I didn't know anything about haenyeo or Korean history during this time period but after reading this book I'll definitely try to learn more. There were some parts that lagged a little but overall I enjoyed this read and am glad I picked up this book.