The Island of Sea Women

A new novel from Lisa See,the New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Laneabout female friendship and family secrets on a small Korean island. Mi-ja and Young-sooktwo girls living on the Korean island of Jejuare best friends that come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enoughthey begin working in the sea with their villageΓÇÖs all-female diving collectiveled by Young-sookΓÇÖs mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby diversthey know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility but also danger. Despite their love for each otherMi-ja and Young-sookΓÇÖs differences are impossible to ignore. The Island of Sea Women is an epoch set over many decadesbeginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940sfollowed by World War IIthe Korean War and its aftermaththrough the era of cell phones and wet suits for the women divers. Throughout this timethe residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaboratorand she will forever be marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her motherΓÇÖs position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that after surviving hundreds of dives and developing the closest of bondsforces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point. This beautifulthoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside downone where the women are in chargeengaging in dangerous physical workand the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See storyΓÇöone of womenΓÇÖs friendships and the larger forces that shape themΓÇöThe Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.