The Island of Sea Women BOOK REVIEW

• Date Published:
  2019
• Length:
  384 pages—Listening Time: 13 hours 22 minutes
• Genre:
  Historical Fiction
• Setting:
  1930s-2008; Jeju Island, South Korea
• Awards
  BookTube Prize Octofinalist Fiction 2020; Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee Historical Fiction 2019; Christian Science Monitor Best Book Fiction 2019; One Maryland One Book selection 2020; King County Library System Best Books Fiction Books 2019; The Best Books: Book Recommendations from the Multnomah County Library Adults 2019
• Languages:
  Catalan, Czech, English, French, Italian, Korean, Spanish
• Sensitive Aspects:
  Rape, murder, suicide, graphic war violence, torture, abuse, child death, massacre and mass killings, atrocities during the Jeju 4.3 Incident, graphic depictions of the Bukchon massacre, extreme cruelty by occupying Japanese soldiers, killings and disappearances by Korean and American forces, starvation and severe poverty, systemic misogyny, domestic abuse, body horror from diving accidents, exploitation of the haenyeo by authorities, political repression and censorship, ethnic slurs and dehumanizing language toward Japanese people
• Movie
  The Island of Sea Women does not have a feature film or scripted TV adaptation. However, an award-winning 2024 documentary, The Last of the Sea Women, covers the real-life free-diving haenyeo of Jeju Island.
• Recommended for Book Club:
  Yes

Hold your breath.

Not just for a second, but long enough to imagine plunging beneath icy water, lungs burning, heart steady, knowing that your survival depends on your ability to stay calm in the deep. That’s the world Lisa See drops you into in The Island of Sea Women—and once you’re there, it’s almost impossible to come back unchanged.

I’ll admit, this book hit me in a very personal way. My husband and I spent seven unforgettable months living in Seoul, South Korea. We soaked in the culture, the food, the rhythm of everyday life—but one thing we never managed to do was visit Jeju Island. And while reading this novel, I couldn’t help but feel like I was finally experiencing it… just in the most unexpected, breathtaking way.

Because this isn’t just a story set on Jeju. It’s a story of Jeju—of its women, its history, and its quiet, fierce resilience.

At the heart of the novel are the haenyeo, the legendary female divers who harvest the sea without oxygen tanks, relying only on skill, endurance, and an almost superhuman relationship with the water. And let me tell you—“strong” doesn’t even begin to cover it. These women are providers, protectors, and, in many ways, the backbone of their communities.

Lisa See doesn’t just describe their lives—she immerses you in them. You feel the sting of saltwater in your eyes. You hear the eerie whistle of breath as the divers resurface. You understand, deeply, what it costs to live this way.

And then, layered on top of that physical world, is a story of friendship—complicated, enduring, and at times, heartbreaking. It spans decades, war, loss, and impossible choices. The magnitude of it all sneaks up on you and slaps you in the face. One moment you’re quietly observing daily life, and the next, you’re grappling with the weight of history itself.

If you’ve ever wanted a novel that doesn’t just tell you a story but pulls you under with it… this is the one.

The Island of Sea Women follows two girls on Jeju Island, Young-sook and Mi-ja, who grow up training as haenyeo—deep-sea divers risking their lives to harvest from the ocean and provide for their families. Young-sook is the daughter of a respected diving leader, while Mi-ja is marked by her father’s collaboration with the Japanese, so their friendship forms across a painful social divide. As they dive, work, marry, and raise children, their bond unfolds against decades of Korean history: Japanese occupation, World War II, and the political upheaval that leads to the division of Korea.

The novel moves between Young-sook’s old age in the 2000s and her memories of girlhood, letting you see Jeju’s matrifocal culture—where women earn the money and dive, while men often manage the household—slowly collide with modernity and outside power. At its core, this is a story about a friendship tested by forces far beyond the two women’s control: family loyalties, political allegiances, and traumas that neither of them chose but both must live with.

Without spoiling specific events, you can expect a sweeping narrative that blends intimate, everyday details—dives, market days, family meals—with moments of profound loss and moral reckoning. It’s both a window into a little-known world of astonishingly strong women and a long-arc exploration of what it costs to love, to stay loyal, and, eventually, to forgive.

If we were sitting together with coffee and you asked, “Okay, but should I read this?” here’s what I’d say—and why.

You want a story that stays with you

This isn’t one of those books you forget a week later. The friendship, the losses, the choices these women make—those images just keep resurfacing in your mind. It feels less like “a book you read” and more like “an experience you had.”

You’re drawn to powerful women on the page

The haenyeo are not delicate, ethereal figures; they’re tough, sweaty, stubborn, brave, and sometimes deeply flawed. They dive into freezing water, support their families, and still have to navigate all the emotional landmines of love, loyalty, and resentment. If you love character-driven stories about women with serious backbone, this delivers.

You like learning something real through fiction

You come away with a vivid sense of Jeju Island, haenyeo culture, and Korean history without ever feeling like you’re reading a textbook. You’re absorbed in the story, and then suddenly you realize you’ve learned about an entire way of life you probably never knew existed.

You appreciate slow-burn, layered storytelling

This isn’t a wham-bam-plot-twist-on-every-page type of book. It builds. You settle into the rhythms of village and sea, and then the emotional punches land harder because you’ve lived with these characters long enough to care. If you enjoy novels that deepen as they go, you’re in the right place.

You enjoy emotionally intense, but not gratuitous, reads

The book goes to some very heavy places—war, trauma, betrayal—but it never feels like suffering for spectacle. The hard moments are there for a reason, and they’re balanced with tenderness, humor, and the small joys of daily life.

You’re a fan of complicated friendships

At its heart, this is a story about two girls who grow up together and don’t always make the right choices with or for each other. If you like digging into the messy, beautiful, sometimes painful reality of lifelong friendships, this will hit you right in the gut.

You love immersive settings

The sea, the village, the weather, the rituals—you can almost taste the salt on your lips. The setting isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a force that shapes everything. If you like feeling fully transported to another place and culture, this book is a perfect candidate.

You want a book that feels worth your time

This is not “fluff.” It’s readable and engaging, but it also has weight, substance, and something to say about history, memory, and what we’re willing to bear—for family, for community, for ourselves. When you finish, you feel like the hours you spent with it mattered.

Here are some strong read-alikes your readers will likely love if they enjoyed The Island of Sea Women or Lisa See in general:

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
A sweeping multigenerational saga of a Korean family in Japan, this novel explores identity, belonging, and quiet resilience under systemic discrimination, with the same emotional depth and historical richness Lisa See fans gravitate toward.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Set in 1930s Kentucky, this story follows a female packhorse librarian who delivers books through dangerous terrain, blending little-known history, a fiercely independent heroine, and themes of community and prejudice.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
In 1950s Jaipur, a talented henna artist builds an independent life after leaving an abusive marriage, navigating class, gender expectations, and family secrets in a way that will feel familiar to readers who love complex, culturally grounded women’s stories.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Imagining the life of a bold, intellectual woman in the time of Jesus, this novel centers female desire, spiritual searching, and resistance within a deeply patriarchal world, echoing Lisa See’s focus on women pushed to the margins of official history.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Spanning centuries and continents through the descendants of two half-sisters, this book examines the long shadow of slavery and colonialism with a structure and emotional scope that will appeal to readers who appreciate generational narratives and moral complexity.

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende
A lifelong, secret love affair between a young Polish refugee and a Japanese gardener unfolds across decades and continents, blending romance, war history, and intergenerational secrets in a lush, character-driven style.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
Inspired by true events, this novel centers on the librarians of the American Library in Paris during World War II, highlighting brave women quietly resisting occupation and preserving culture—ideal for readers drawn to courage in everyday acts.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
Focusing on female secret agents in World War II, this book offers high stakes, hidden identities, and the bonds between women under pressure, aligning well with Lisa See’s blend of history, danger, and emotional loyalty.

---