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A review by alongapath
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
3.0
At age 80, Young-Sook is approached by a teenager who wants answers to difficult questions about Young-Sook and her childhood friend, Mi-Ja. This great grand-daughter of Mi-Ja is trying to piece together the broken friendship which has kept Young-Sook and Mi-Ja apart for decades. Young-Sook ends up mulling over the events of her long life which makes up the bulk of the novel. This deeply researched novel felt like a textbook about the political history of Korea, the haenyeo women divers and their matriafocal culture.
I credit my average rating to the main character, Young-Sook, who didn't really have a personality, other than being ego-centric, and whose sole emotion was bitterness. Throughout her life, she simply did what was expected of her and didn't have an original thought. I was far more interested in Mi-Ja who brimmed with energy and was an adept judge of character.
To me, this best friends-turned-enemies storyline reminded me a lot of [b:Snow Flower and the Secret Fan|40873273|Snow Flower and the Secret Fan|Lisa See|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532005164l/40873273._SY75_.jpg|1453585], making me think that See is a one-trick-pony. Having only read these two See novels, I am hesitant to continue pursuing her.
I listened to the audio version which was an easy way to tackle the Korean vocabulary and the non-fiction parts. But [a:Jennifer Lim|8600141|Jennifer Lim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has an incredibly harsh way of narrating, going from whispery prose to screeching dialogue, making me pull out my ear buds and constantly adjust the volume. Young-Sook's speaking voice was especially shrieky which may have negatively influenced my aversion to the main character.
All that aside, I learned an amazing amount about Korea and the endless hardship it has endured since WW2. Like Forrest Gump, Young-Sook finds herself in the midst of multiple historic events but, unlike Gump, she wears the scars of each encounter.
I credit my average rating to the main character, Young-Sook, who didn't really have a personality, other than being ego-centric, and whose sole emotion was bitterness. Throughout her life, she simply did what was expected of her and didn't have an original thought. I was far more interested in Mi-Ja who brimmed with energy and was an adept judge of character.
To me, this best friends-turned-enemies storyline reminded me a lot of [b:Snow Flower and the Secret Fan|40873273|Snow Flower and the Secret Fan|Lisa See|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532005164l/40873273._SY75_.jpg|1453585], making me think that See is a one-trick-pony. Having only read these two See novels, I am hesitant to continue pursuing her.
I listened to the audio version which was an easy way to tackle the Korean vocabulary and the non-fiction parts. But [a:Jennifer Lim|8600141|Jennifer Lim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has an incredibly harsh way of narrating, going from whispery prose to screeching dialogue, making me pull out my ear buds and constantly adjust the volume. Young-Sook's speaking voice was especially shrieky which may have negatively influenced my aversion to the main character.
All that aside, I learned an amazing amount about Korea and the endless hardship it has endured since WW2. Like Forrest Gump, Young-Sook finds herself in the midst of multiple historic events but, unlike Gump, she wears the scars of each encounter.