// The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

"Every woman who enters the sea carries a coffin on her back,” she warned the gathering. “In this world, in the undersea world, we tow the burdens of a hard life. We are crossing between life and death every day.”

I first learnt of Haenyeo from White Chrysanthemum. I knew that these women on Jeju Island grew their lungs so that they can plunge into the depths of the sea and farm the underwater life. They wore cotton clothes which did nothing to protect them from the cold as they ventured into the water day in and out. Contrary to other traditional societies, Haenyeos worked to support their family while the men took care of the children and cooked for everyone. It's surprising to see this progressive quality but it has its own downside too. Women were supposed to send their brothers to school while they toiled in the sea. A huge burden remained on their shoulders, moulding them into extremely strong women.

The Island of Sea Women is a thoroughly researched book that gives an in-depth view into the lives of Haenyeo from the time of Japanese occupation. Of course, with history comes an incredible amount of pain and horror. As the protagonist of the story, Young-sook loses her loved ones, my heart kept chipping into pieces. We get to witness a friendship that spans across years, a tight unity amongst women of the sea and their immense strength to keep going in the face of adversity.

The Island of Sea Women is a feminist book through and through and although some parts were gut-wrenching to read, I absolutely loved how well Lisa has presented the series of events that once affected Korea.

I recommend this very highly. Please add this to your cart and experience the power of the winds and water with the women who are no less than goddesses of the sea.