The Island of Sea Women

This book is about the lives of the Haenyeo society on Jeju Island, Korea, with the backdrop of historical turmoil from the 1930s until 2008, a span of almost a century. The story mainly concentrates on the life of Young-sook, a courageous Haenyeo who grew up quickly after her mother's death and assumed the responsibility of feeding her family. It is about her relationship with her best friend, who refused to help her in times of uprising and mass killing. Young-sook could never forgive her until she heard her friend's pain and guilt when losing her friendship. The story takes place from the Japanese Occupation of Korea, the 2nd World War, the split of North & South Korea, the April 3rd uprising in Jeju Island in 1948, and the Korean War, up until 2008, when the main character became a senior old lady. It is a very moving story full of historical facts. The author has done a tremendous amount of research and interviews. It is a heart-wrenching and compelling story.

I learned so much from reading this book. I learned about the lives of the Haenyeo society, which is a women-dominated society. These sea women risk their lives by diving in the unpredictable seas to make a living to support their families. They were strong and courageous. Even though Young-sook's life was full of struggles, tragedies, and disappointments, she stood strong on her principles and followed her heart when caring for her children and family. She was not educated, but she was smart and had a lot of courage and common sense. She struggled through foreign occupations, first the Japanese, followed by the Americans. Even though the governments and rules around her kept changing, she learned to adjust and survive for the benefit of her family and children. Her deep friendship with her best friend turned into disappointment and a feeling of betrayal. But she finally learned to forgive in the end.