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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am actually giving this 3.75 stars. The reason being that I felt it ran a bit long, otherwise I enjoyed this book. The life of the Haenyeo is fascinating and something I had no about. These women live a hard life, but their friendships are so unique. The main characters are beautiful in their friendship but also tragic.
A beautiful story of family, the strength of women, and the fascinating history of the aftermath of WWII and beyond in Korea. This isn't just women diving into the sea, but that history was interesting, too.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I’m glad to have learned a little more about the history of Jeju Island. I loved learning about the matriarchal society led by the haenyeo and was saddened by the dark history that followed during the mid-20th century. I listened to this on audio but I think I would’ve had a better reading experience had I read it in print. Overall, I think it was a decent book, though it ultimately was a little too slow-moving for me. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone but I also wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading it either. I’m surprised I haven’t seen much discourse around the fact that a non-Korean woman wrote a historical fiction about this very specific Korean community, which kind of surprises me. I feel like Lisa See is a somewhat controversial author but seems mostly/largely beloved. I was wary at first about her writing outside of her culture (since she has ties to Chinese heritage) but I suppose (to my limited knowledge of Korean culture) it seems like she did it with care. I think if this hadn’t been for a book club, I might have DNF’d it.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this would be a light read about female friendship. It’s definitely about female friendship, but also many other things that are not light- including the physical stress of free diving and the history of occupation in Korea. Excellent.
emotional
informative
sad
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
A truly beautiful read about the power of friendship and forgiveness. There were times when the story seemed to wander a bit/felt less focused (and the ending felt a bit rushed, though I think that's mainly because of the formatting), but I found the history and cultural study interesting enough that it really didn't matter. This is a book well worth reading.