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| Author and book cover photo source: Simon & Schuster. Other photo by Girl Well Read—do not use without written permission. |
Blue Heron Books hosted "Books & Brunch" featuring Lisa See. The event was moderated by Leena Rahusaar who asked Lisa about her writing process, inspiration, and theme of her latest work. A question and answer period, as well as a book signing, followed.
Instead of performing a reading, Lisa engaged the audience in an exercise to demonstrate how long the women divers from South Korea's Jeju island could hold their breath for. See told the audience that the haenyeo started diving at the age of 15 and were retired by 55. In the 1970s, there were still approximately 30,000 of these women actively diving. Today, there are less than 4,000 that are still active, the youngest are 55 and the oldest are in their 80s and 90s. It is estimated that in fifteen years time, this culture will no longer exist—the culture is dying off simply because women are educated and don't have to perform this dangerous work anymore. See said that each of these woman that dives into the sea has a coffin on her back.
The Island of Sea Women spans several years, from 1938-2008. The book opens in 2008 and covers a four-day period. These vignettes from 2008 are dispersed throughout the story, each one provides a clue that moves the reader forward, but at the same time, anchors them in the past.
Set on a Korean island, the story is about the matrifocal society of the haenyeo. These women can hold their breath for two-three minutes and can dive down to depths of 60 feet in order to harvest seafood. This is very dangerous work—they could run out of air, get their hair caught on a rock, come in contact with sharks, get tangled in fishing line or seaweed, or get swept away by a tidal surge. It is these women that are the breadwinners of the family, while it is the men that take care of the babies, cook meals, keep a house, and take care of the elders. Because these women are gone all day, there is no one to nurse the babies until the mother return so there are crying babies everywhere.
The haenyeo were somewhat valued because they made the money and could afford to send their sons to school. They also supplied their men with allowances that many of them spent on alcohol, gambling, even on other women. What they should've been recognized and valued for was their incredible physical fortitude and emotional strength—this is what allowed them to perform this dangerous work.
The second half of the novel chronicles the 4.3 Incident. Named for the date it began, which was April 3, 1948, three years after Japan surrendered occupation of Korea, tens of thousands of people were killed. See dramatizes the atrocities committed by the military during the Bukchon massacre in a harrowing scene in which Young-sook loses both the majority of her family and her friendship to Mi-ja.
Korea is most "Confucius" of lands. The protocol is that a daughter obeys her father, a wife obeys her husband, and a widow obeys her son. That is why they had such a deep emotional connection to the sea—it was so healing to these women on a psychological, emotional, and physical level.
See writes about women relationships—mother and daughter, sisters, best friends. The best friend dynamic is a particular kind of intimacy that opens you up to betrayal because there are things that you would only tell your best friend. In her novels, it is rarely the men that bring these women any joy. Abuse of male power is common in her stories, whether it be fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers, or bosses.
Other themes explored in the book are guilt or expectation, as well as forgiveness (the island as a whole is an example of this). "For forgiveness, one side has to own up and one side has to forgive." See asks, "Is it self-sacrifice, or self-preservation?"
Her writing process
She started with article she came across about ten years ago. See was in the waiting room of a doctor's office and was flipping through some magazines when she came across a tiny little article about these diving women from this one island of the coast of South Korea. She found it so fascinating that she ripped out the article and knew that one day she would be writing about these women. Very quietly she started collecting information and conducting research. See questioned the ability for these women to handle the cold, was it genetic? Scientific? She also visited the island to involve all her senses—what does the air feel like? What does the air smell like? Her research also involved simply walking along the shore and speaking to women on the beach and many of her experiences made it into the book.
The Island of Sea Women
Lisa See's newest novel is set on the small Korean island of Jeju and is about female friendship and family secrets.
Mi-ja and Young-sook are best friends that are from vastly different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they become divers like the rest of the women in their seaside village. The all-female diving collective is led by Young-sook’s mother. Even though they are "baby divers," the girls realize that with this great responsibility comes great danger.
The novel spans several decades and is anchored with vignettes set in 2008. These vignettes that are dispersed throughout the story provide clues that move the reader forward, but at the same time, anchor them in the past. Beginning during the Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 40s, followed by World War II, the Korean War and its aftermath, and in the modern era which introduces the divers to wet suits and cell phones.
Jeju's residents are caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, forever marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will eventually inherit her mother’s position as their leader. The girls have shared more than just dives, they have shared life's milestones and all of their secrets. But when outside forces turn their world upside down, it become too much for their friendship to survive.
LISA SEE self-published her first book in 1993 and has gone on to write ten more novels. Her works have been published in 39 languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.
Ms. See lives in Los Angeles.
The Island of Sea Women spans several years, from 1938-2008. The book opens in 2008 and covers a four-day period. These vignettes from 2008 are dispersed throughout the story, each one provides a clue that moves the reader forward, but at the same time, anchors them in the past.
Set on a Korean island, the story is about the matrifocal society of the haenyeo. These women can hold their breath for two-three minutes and can dive down to depths of 60 feet in order to harvest seafood. This is very dangerous work—they could run out of air, get their hair caught on a rock, come in contact with sharks, get tangled in fishing line or seaweed, or get swept away by a tidal surge. It is these women that are the breadwinners of the family, while it is the men that take care of the babies, cook meals, keep a house, and take care of the elders. Because these women are gone all day, there is no one to nurse the babies until the mother return so there are crying babies everywhere.
The haenyeo were somewhat valued because they made the money and could afford to send their sons to school. They also supplied their men with allowances that many of them spent on alcohol, gambling, even on other women. What they should've been recognized and valued for was their incredible physical fortitude and emotional strength—this is what allowed them to perform this dangerous work.
The second half of the novel chronicles the 4.3 Incident. Named for the date it began, which was April 3, 1948, three years after Japan surrendered occupation of Korea, tens of thousands of people were killed. See dramatizes the atrocities committed by the military during the Bukchon massacre in a harrowing scene in which Young-sook loses both the majority of her family and her friendship to Mi-ja.
Korea is most "Confucius" of lands. The protocol is that a daughter obeys her father, a wife obeys her husband, and a widow obeys her son. That is why they had such a deep emotional connection to the sea—it was so healing to these women on a psychological, emotional, and physical level.
See writes about women relationships—mother and daughter, sisters, best friends. The best friend dynamic is a particular kind of intimacy that opens you up to betrayal because there are things that you would only tell your best friend. In her novels, it is rarely the men that bring these women any joy. Abuse of male power is common in her stories, whether it be fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers, or bosses.
Other themes explored in the book are guilt or expectation, as well as forgiveness (the island as a whole is an example of this). "For forgiveness, one side has to own up and one side has to forgive." See asks, "Is it self-sacrifice, or self-preservation?"
Her writing process
She started with article she came across about ten years ago. See was in the waiting room of a doctor's office and was flipping through some magazines when she came across a tiny little article about these diving women from this one island of the coast of South Korea. She found it so fascinating that she ripped out the article and knew that one day she would be writing about these women. Very quietly she started collecting information and conducting research. See questioned the ability for these women to handle the cold, was it genetic? Scientific? She also visited the island to involve all her senses—what does the air feel like? What does the air smell like? Her research also involved simply walking along the shore and speaking to women on the beach and many of her experiences made it into the book.
The Island of Sea Women
Lisa See's newest novel is set on the small Korean island of Jeju and is about female friendship and family secrets.
Mi-ja and Young-sook are best friends that are from vastly different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they become divers like the rest of the women in their seaside village. The all-female diving collective is led by Young-sook’s mother. Even though they are "baby divers," the girls realize that with this great responsibility comes great danger.
The novel spans several decades and is anchored with vignettes set in 2008. These vignettes that are dispersed throughout the story provide clues that move the reader forward, but at the same time, anchor them in the past. Beginning during the Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 40s, followed by World War II, the Korean War and its aftermath, and in the modern era which introduces the divers to wet suits and cell phones.
Jeju's residents are caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, forever marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will eventually inherit her mother’s position as their leader. The girls have shared more than just dives, they have shared life's milestones and all of their secrets. But when outside forces turn their world upside down, it become too much for their friendship to survive.
Ms. See lives in Los Angeles.
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