The Island of Sea Women

A Novel

By: Lisa See

Narrated by: Jennifer Lim

Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A new novel from Lisa See, the New York Times best-selling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, about female friendship and family secrets on a small Korean island.

Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends who come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby divers, they know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility but also danger.

Despite their love for each other, Mi-ja and Young-sook’s differences are impossible to ignore. The Island of Sea Women is an epoch set over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War, and its aftermath, through the era of cell phones and wet suits for the women divers. Throughout this time, the residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and she will forever be marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that after surviving hundreds of dives and developing the closest of bonds, forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point.

This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous, physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story - one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them - The Island of Sea Women introduces listeners to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.

©2019 Lisa See (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Narrator Jennifer Lim underscores the multiple layers of this audiobook about two friends who grew up in Jeju Island, Korea... Lim's expressive delivery highlights protagonist Young-sook's personality and complex feelings... Lim's clear and sensitive portrayals, complete with believable accents, make it easy for listeners to keep track of the characters." (AudioFile)

1st Review in 15 years!

I've been a member of Audible for more than 15 years and I have not been touched so deeply by a book.

a women's story

Korea, so much in the news, so little of the stories of real people living real lives...we must learn and appreciate the parts we all play in all the stories...

always learning something new from her books

I have been reading her books for over a decade and she is a brilliant teacher. My considerations of what has and is happening in the world expands every book.

Excellent story of strong female leadership, friendship, and hard-won forgiveness

Engaging story of survival and friendship of matriarchs in historic Korea. Characters remain complex and unpredictable throughout. Mesmerizing peek into life both dependent on and reverent of the sea. A testimony of the loving friendship between women caught in a tumultuous time in history where life and death decisions appear unfathomable.

Fascinating and Beautiful!

The story of the sea women is so beautifully written. The story and the words encompass a beautiful life full of tradition, tragedy and most of all, true history of strong women. I will definitely recommend this and will absolutely listen to the entire book again

More gritty than expected - a worthwhile listen.

Thought it was going to be a light and sweet friendship story but in a place and with people I know little about so it might be interesting. Turned out to be a long journey in the lives of these women and lots of historical information that gave the characters much more depth than expected. I am glad I put in the time to finish it.

The Island of Sea Women

Oh my goodness, what an amazing book. A touching and interesting story. An important history less. A presentation of all the good and tragic of the human spirit. The story flowed at a good pace, and everything wrapped up in the end. I learned so much history I never knew before. The characters lives so perfectly presented our humanity. I highly recommend this beautiful book. The narration was exceptional.

Beautiful story

A story that draws you in from the first word.
The story or love, friendship, motherhood, war, hardship told in the most beautiful way. She shares the way of life if the sea women so intimately.

Love this author. Did it again.

We follow the protagonist from her young teen years through her old age. It follows the history of the Korean people in the twentieth century and into the twenty first. Has complexity and heart.

Heart wrenching story but the same story line

The story is as good as always. The writing style is exceptional. You cannot read this author without being drawn into the stories of these women's lives. It follows the same story line as her other work, with different names and different locations coloring the plot. If you enjoy historical fiction I definitely recommend.