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

Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

77 reviews

alliekatt21's review against another edition

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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friendofhayley's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I got this book as a gift from my partner, since I'm half-Korean and I have been trying to learn more about that side of my family.

It was so interesting (and heart-breaking) to find out the chaos and deaths American imperialists (not just the Japanese) subjected Korea too, which is something I never learned before.

It was so interesting learning about the hanyeo as well.

However the historical context and events were my favorite parts of the book.

I disliked the main character and the actions she took, although I definitely understand that it was realistic because she acted just like my own estranged mother.

But this might just be a personal taste thing.

I also was waiting until the end to see if perhaps the relationship between Young-Sook and Mi-Ja had at least a one-sided romantic attraction, but alas.

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kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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bites_of_books's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Lisa See wrote a most incredible story of friendship, family, trauma, love, war, all set in the island of Jeju. It also takes place over many decades as we follow our main character, Young-Sook, from the time when she was a child to when she is a great grand mother. We see through her eyes how she learned to become a part of the group of women who dive into the sea in order to collect food to sustain their families.

Something that stands out from the start is that this is a matrifocal society, this means that the women are the providers for their families while the husbands and sons stay home cooking and caring for their children. The bonds that all the women have in their diving collective are unique and stronger than some blood-relations.

The story of Young-Sook and Mi-ja, her best friend, is set against the background of the political turmoil caused by the Japanese colonialists as well as by WWII and the Korean war. I learned a lot about the history of Korea from the perspective of the people in Jeju island. They suffered famine, terrible violence, deep trauma while seeing people die all around them, all while trying to continue their traditions and sustaining their families.

I'm amazed at the amount of research that had to go into this book and how, even though there was a lot of detail, things still moved forward at a great pace. The slowest parts for me were when trying to understand the political interactions between the citizens of Jeju, the Japanese colonialists, the American soldiers, and the various Korean groups that all contributed to what happened in the island.

I was taken by surprise when about 250 pages in I was just weeping because of what was happening in the book. I mean, I slowly but surely grew to love these characters but also the whole community of Jeju island and I didn't quite realize it!

I'd recommend this book because it is so well written, so well researched, and the world really needs to know about this beautiful community of women divers of Jeju island. Do be prepared for difficult and violent events and to just fall in love with the characters and the island as a whole.

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