A review by melodys_library
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

4.0

The Island of Sea Women was one of my favorite historical fiction reads in quite some time. See’s thorough research on the history of the Korean island of Jeju - its traditions, culture and people - and details on the 4.3 Incident, Japanese and American occupations, provided the foundation for a rich setting. (While I felt like the Allied invasion was glossed over, I can forgive that given it wasn’t the main focus of the novel.) See skillfully weaved historical details around the characters, educating me on a region and part of history that I know very little about. There were definitely some political undertones there as well. I was hooked on the friendship and conflict between Young-sook and Mi-ja, two haenyeo women in a matrifocal society who are torn apart by tragic circumstances. I mean, who doesn’t love a strong story about strong women?