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  • The Island of Sea Women

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Lisa See
  • Narrated by: Jennifer Lim
  • Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (181 ratings)

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The Island of Sea Women

Written by: Lisa See
Narrated by: Jennifer Lim
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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
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What the critics say

"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)

What listeners say about The Island of Sea Women

Average Customer Ratings
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Excellent

I truly enjoyed getting a glimpse into a time in history and a place I knew very little about. The story and the characters drew me in. An excellent read.

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  • Overall
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Fascinating!

I really enjoyed this book, particularly because these women truly existed. This was such a matriarchal group, whose husbands stayed home & kept house while their wives went off diving for the day. The women worked, had babies, dove during the day to put food on the table and nursed their infants when they were done for the day. Inspiring!

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Wise words

This story has given me a want to learn more about their culture and an appreciation for the wisdom that comes with years of life and hardship. Ours elderly deserve more respect.

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Narration and Story

Wow - how she articulated being a woman in an Korean island society. Masterful.
The narration was excellent in conveying every mood - outstanding.

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Bring the Tissues!

This was a gorgeous story. I was trying to drive while sobbing at the end! If you love generational stories, woman doing it themselves, and historical fiction then this is for you! This is actually based on real woman too, so that's a cool plus.

The only tricky part for me was that it was a bit hard to keep some of the names straight when I just listening.

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Beautiful account of friendship and history.

Lisa See always manages to bring history and distant lands to life through the stories of women. This book set on Jeju island had me fascinated by the lives of the Haenyeo women. I love a book that can teach me a piece of history - the little known (to me) struggles between wwII and the Korean war for the people of Jeju. By telling the story through the eyes of a strong, fierce woman, through her family, friendships, traditions and her heart, the historical facts become real and not just dates in books. My heart wrenched by her losses and lifted by her joy... Young Sook felt like a kindred soul. I highly recommend this and ant book by Lisa See.

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Loved this one

Narrator does a wonderful job. I knew very little about this book going in, and was surprised at how much I quickly became invested in it. Beware, parts are definitely hard to listen to.

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A tragic but beautiful novel

This book had been recommended to me for over 2 years. I didn't think I would be interested as it wasn't my normal go-to. After finishing another, I decided to finally give this one a chance. I was not prepared for how this would make me feel and how much it would impact me. The novel is beautifully and wonderfully written. It felt like I was there, watching through the glass, and though there were some parts that tore my heart out, they were important to read. It made me self reflect on my own life and relationships with those I love and have loved.

This book is not for the faint of heart, but I do highly recommend.

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Caution with the subjects of this book

It was overall a good book, but the subject of war is very present. I didn't expect it going in, at first it was only a backdrop for the story but then the mc witnesses atempted rape and successful genocides. It's hearbreaking and with the narator being as good as she is I had to stop and pace. I ended up dropping the book because it was making me so emotional, but I don't regret listening to it.

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Brutal and beautiful

Although difficult to get through at times, a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long while.

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