The Island of Sea Women

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A new novel from Lisa See, theNew York Timesbestselling author ofThe Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, about female friendship and family secrets on a small Korean island.

Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends that come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their villages all-female diving collective, led by Young-sooks 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-sooks differences are impossible to ignore.The Island of Sea Womenis an epic set over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War and its aftermath, through the era of cell phones and wetsuits 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, and she will forever be marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line ofhaenyeoand will inherit her mothers position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that after surviving hundreds of dives and developing the closest of bonds, forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point.

This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See storyone of womens friendships and the larger forces that shape themThe Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.
For centuries, women on Koreas Jeju island have been free-diving into the sea, a practice explored through this fictionalized story of two friends who struggle to stay close amid war, family rivalries, and a shifting cultural landscape. Itsriveting, historical, and heartbreaking all at onceMarie Claire
Lisa See excels at mining the intersection of family, friendship and history... This novel spans wars and generations, but at its heart is a beautifully rendered story of two women whose individual choices become inextricably tangledJodi Picoult

I was spellbound the moment I entered the vivid and little-known world of the diving women of Jeju No one writes about female friendship with more insight and depth than Lisa SeeSue Monk Kidd, author ofThe Secret Life of Bees

Reviews

Lisa See excels at mining the intersection of family, friendship and history . . . This novel spans wars and generations, but at its heart is a beautifully rendered story of two women whose individual choices become inextricably tangled -- Jodi Picoult, author of A Spark of Light
I was spellbound the moment I entered the vivid and little-known world of the diving women of Jeju . . . No one writes about female friendship, the dark and the light of it, with more insight and depth than Lisa See -- Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees
'See is most deft when she plays with this line of betrayal and the impossibility of forgiveness which she does on a national level as well as a deeply personal one . . . a powerful and essential story of humanity' * Los Angeles Review of Books *
'Sees vivid prose and thorough research together bring to life the seafaring existence of these women . . . Sees thoughtful and empathetic book sheds necessary attention on this largely ignored event' * New York Times *
For centuries, women on Koreas Jeju island have been free-diving into the sea, a practice explored through this fictionalized story of two friends who struggle to stay close amid war, family rivalries, and a shifting cultural landscape. Itsriveting, historical, and heartbreaking all at once * Marie Claire *
Jumping between the WWII era and 2008, See perceptively depicts challenges faced by Koreans over the course of the 20th century, particularly homing in on the ways the haenyeo have struggled to maintain their way of life. Exposing the depths of human cruelty and resilience, Sees lush tale is a wonderful ode to a truly singular group of women * Publishers Weekly *
'Two women and their friendship are at the heart of a tale in which war and disruption, including American occupation, destroy some lives and alter others . . .a beautifully written, sublime piece of fiction * The Christian Science Monitor *

Author Bio

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