Ponder: The Island of Sea Women

Did I like the fictional novel The Island of Sea Women ©2019 by Lisa See? Some parts of it, yes; but other parts of it, definitely a strong no. I admit to having a love/hate relationship with this book. The existence of such a group of women, the vocabulary of their trade, and even more basically, the location and geography of the island of Jeju was enlightening and I welcomed learning about it. 

My first question was, "What are sea women?". They are real women in a matrifocal society, where women are the breadwinners and men tend to the children. Their livelihood is that of female divers, called haenyeo.  Learning of their tools and dress for diving was fascinating. Their tools are knives for cutting, rods for prodding, nets and floatation devices for collecting their sea life captures. They wrap themselves in white garments to help shield their bodies from the chill of the waters. Each woman can hold their breath for up to three minutes and upon surfacing releases her air with a "sumbisori" unique to each diver. Per Wikipedia

Haenyeo are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju, whose livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean...   The sumbisori is the special sound – like a whistle or a dolphin call – a Haenyeo makes as she breaches the surface of the sea and releases the air she’s held in her lungs, followed by a deep intake of breath.

My next question was "Where is this island?". I had never heard of it. Is it mythical, since this is a work of fiction? But no, by googling, I learned Jeju is off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula and west of Japan. It is 454 miles long and 19.3 miles wide. It's area is one fourth the size of Rhode Island, the smallest state. Jeju is the only self-governing province in South Korea, meaning that the province is run by local inhabitants instead of politicians from the mainland. 

The story unfolds around two young divers, Young-Sook and Mija, in their teens when the story opens. The two girls are the best of friends but then there is serious falling out between the two of them as the paths of their lives divert. Ascertaining the cause of this estrangement is a mystery in the book to urge the reader on. The novel is written in a two timeline fashion, in parts from 1938 to 1975, interspersed with scenes from four consecutive days in the future year of 2008.

                 Day 1: 2008
                 PART I Friendship 1938
                 Day 2: 2008
                 PART II Love Spring 1944 - Fall 1946
                 Day 3: 2008
                 PART III Fear 1947-1949
                 Day 4: 2008
                 PART IV Blame 1961
                 Day 4 (cont.) : 2008
                 PART V Forgiveness 1968-1975
                 Day 4 (cont.) : 2008

In PART I and PART II the daily lives of the people of Jeju are portrayed well. I learned of their belief in the gods, their system for arranging marriages, their matrifocal society, the harsh conditions and dangers imposed on the Haenyeo and their skills to compensate. Life was hard but the islanders learned to survive the challenges nature provided them. I enjoyed these parts immensely. 

Then the tone changes in PART III Fear 1947-1949. Events are recounted during an uprising of the local islanders on Jeju Island called the April 3 incident and described in Wikipedia as  

... notable for its extreme violence; between 14,000 and 30,000 people (10 percent of Jeju's population) were killed. Atrocities and war crimes were committed by both sides, but historians have noted that the methods used by the South Korean government to suppress protesters and rebels were especially cruel. Some historians and scholars, regard the Jeju uprising as the true beginning of the Korean War. ... In 2006, almost 60 years after the Jeju uprising, the South Korean government apologized for its role in the killings and promised reparations.

The days in 2008 are a reference back to the South Korean government's apology for the killings and its attempt at a memorial and reparations.

Some of the cruel suppression methods are explicitly described in PART III of the book. I was shocked and appalled and I detested having been exposed to these atrocities. On a news show there is often a warning that "the following images are graphic" so the viewer can avert his eyes. There is no such warning in the lines of a book. I plowed through the horrendous events and floundered amidst the political correlation of them all and at this point almost abandoned the book.

Despite the horrors and tortures, I kept reading into PART IV and PART V for three reasons. 

1. A few people whose opinions I respect had recommended the book. 
2. I was engaged in the life of Young-Sook, her family, and her estranged friend Mija. 
3. I was hopeful the worst was over. 

The book did finally satisfactorily explain their falling out and the progression of their lives.

If you google Jeju today, it is promoted as a highly valued resort community with lovely beaches and lava tunnels to explore; the sea women are a tourist attraction. 

The history of Jeju paints an extremely different picture from that of an idyllic resort. Jeju's strategic position between South Korea and Japan caused much grief and oppression during war times. Those fascinating lava tunnels were used to hide Japanese aircraft, enlarged by the hard, forced labor of locals. The hardships portrayed in this book were very educational for me but did not make for a pleasant read. I initially rated The Island of Sea Women two stars.

★★☆☆☆ Ok, not great; some redeeming features; I finished it (initially)

UPDATE
I rethought my rating, especially based on a comment from my daughter-in-law and decided to adjust it, as I rarely do, to do the book more justice. On my page on books I have read in 2022, I define my rating system.

I give the star rating soon after I am finished with (i.e., completed or abandoned) the book and blogged about it. The rating is more a reflection of my short term memory and enjoyment level. I have tried very hard not to go back at a later time and change the star rating relative to a different book I have read more recently.

The book is well-written and researched. Because I learned a lot and I talked about it a great deal with other people, I recognize it made a lasting impression on me. After all, I did finish it! I am making an exception and upgrading my rating of The Island of Sea Women to four stars. My review on aspects of the book remain the same; but, in this case, I feel it is unfair that my opinion on my likes and dislikes should dominate the merits of the book and deter someone else from reading it.

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience (revised)