Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Island of Sea Women

I love a book that teaches me about a people, culture, or event that I know little about. This book did all that, and somehow it was still so much more. This book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and will stay with me for a long time.

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niklit's review against another edition

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It just kept getting more and more sad and awful. Very well-written, I was totally invested in the characters. But knowing the events depicted are based on real ones made it that much more impossible to continue reading.

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meredithamadee's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I have never read a book about haenyo so this was fascinating! It is very well reasearched. In my mind, the plot of this book goes between being super relational and super informative of the current events. It is a very sad book, but extremely beautiful. It’s about pride and shame and guilt and forgiveness and the tension between progress and tradition in a culture that relies on tradition to survive. I thought the ending was rushed and would enjoyed seeing more of the relationships and conclusions fleshed out but overall it’s a beautiful and worthwhile read.

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alliekatt21's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This story was eye opening into the culture of haenyeo women and it walks through events before and after WW2 which was interesting. I love when a book switches between first person and third person narration styles to send a message. Might not be as noticeable if you listen to the audiobook.

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corriejn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes

4.75

I checked out this book based on a recommendation, and because I'd heard of the haenyeo before and was interested in learning more. Clearly I didn't look much into the details of the book beforehand, as I started it expecting nonfiction-- when it was apparent it was a novel, that was fine and I just adjusted that expectation. The story is still very informative about the lives and traditions of the Korean women sea-divers. What I wish I had realized beforehand, though, is that the book covers much of mid-19th-century Korean history and includes some really graphic and traumatic descriptions of atrocities committed during occupation and wartime (such content is mainly in the latter half of the book). It is still a powerful and artfully told story, but do be aware of that going in, and don't pick this one up if you're looking for a light read.

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elly29's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A slow burn of a novel, that suddenly dissolves. I loved that it was about women divers (in Jeju, an island off of South Korea's coast). The best part of the book was the society of haenyeo -- as a woman, who works, (and who just got some scuba certification), it was a joy and delight to hear of classic gender roles turned on their head.

Junbu, Young-Sook's husband, seemed like a woman's fantasy of a husband.

I also didn't know about the Bukchon Massacre, or anything about Jeju Island and the struggle between insurgent and anti-communist government forces. There is a brutal scene that involves lots of things like rape, torture, murder, and child murder. (Also makes me sick at the thought that these things are happening in Ukraine.)

In the end, this is a story about diving, survival, and forgiveness. I love that the sea is a constant, a grandmother who will never leave you even when everything else has changed. I like the phrase, "To understand everything is to forgive." Using Young-Sook and her life as an example of what we should not do: may we be patient, may we ask questions, may we never assume, may we be perceptive.

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airforcesister's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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