
I learned much from reading The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. As a child of the Cold War, we believed nuclear war was possible. I remember someone saying the Russian satellites could see someone mowing their lawn. I was frightened by this idea, but also unsure why the Russians would want to see a man in country Queensland mowing his lawn. Of course, now people post pictures of themselves mowing their lawn. It is not a dangerous thing for the world to see.
So, as a child of the Cold War, I knew North and South Korea were arbitrarily created following the defeat of the Japanese in World War II and the two countries represented a battleground – literally and ideologically. I never thought about life in Korea before this time, or during this time, and in particular, I did not know about the haenyeo on the island of Jeju. I’m glad I now do.
Haenyeo are female free divers who harvest the sea of abalone, sea urchins, and octopus in freezing waters. Through the eyes of Young-Sook from 1938 until 2008, we learn of the haenyeo life. The contradiction of being the primary providers and controlling the families’ money, but that their husbands still inherit the land, and sons are required to perform ancestor worship.
Young-Sook and her best friend Mija are children during Japan’s rule over Korea and Jeju. Mija is the orphaned daughter of a collaborator – a Korean who worked for the colonial government. She lives with her abusive aunt and uncle, and Young Sook’s mother, a haenyeo chief accepts the outcast as a surrogate daughter and she joins the diving collective.
The diving is dangerous, and there are tragedies in the water. But, the island is dangerous too. The girls grow into young women during WWII when the Japanese team on to the island. After the war, marriages are arranged and the friends have children. Jeju was more or less under the American colonial rule. There was significant unrest as the people protested and fought against brutality greater than what they experienced under Japanese rule. This was a history lesson for me and there was a moment when Young-Sook’s family was in dire peril and I had to leave them there and go to work. It was a long day waiting to return and find out what happened.
Lisa See is not Korean. I am curious about how her book is perceived by Koreans and people from Jeju. She has researched but is still an outsider writing about a place and people. There were times when the dialogue did not strike true and felt like info dumping. Overall, my curiosity is piqued and I have downloaded The Mermaid of Jeju by Sumi Hahn. Let me know if you have other recommendations.
This is not a literary masterpiece, but the book is well-paced and one insight into a culture ravaged by political unrest and change. The haenyeo remain on Jeju, mostly older women who would traditionally have retired from diving – though now in wetsets they still free dive. The haenyeo have been added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.