Books Set in Asia: Korea

The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa Sea (2019)

For centuries on the island of Jeju, off the southern coast of Korea, the women have been the main source of income for their families by diving to gather shellfish, abalone and sea urchins.  These women, known as haenyeo, learn how to dive deep into the ocean, without the benefit of diving equipment to gather their harvest.

This novel follows two such divers from their budding friendship in the 1930s through island’s uprising in the late 1940s and the Korean occupation.  Young-souk was taught the art of diving from her mother, who was the head of the women’s diving collective.  Her friend, Mi-ja was the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, hence, suspect.  Her mother died giving birth to Mi-ja, and she was pawned off to live with in aunt and uncle who lived in Young-souk’s village.

The novel describes the hardships, yet joy, that comes from the diving.  The women are the main breadwinners of the family, while husbands stay home with the children, and drinking or gambling their wives hard earned money.

Life of the haenyeo is not easy, as the sea can easily take a life it the diver is not careful.  The life, however, has its long traditions, which are carefully observed and treasured by divers.

Their life is shattered with the events taking place in the Pacific theater of World War II and its aftermath.  The novel describes the history of the divided Korea, as seen from the inhabitants of the Island.

In parallel, Young-souk and Mi-ja reach marriageable age during this time.  Tainted by the sins of her father, Mi-ja fears she will not find a suitable husband.  She is suddenly married off to the handsome and wealthy son of another Japanese collaborator.  Young-souk, to is married, but to the son of her mother’s best friend.  Young-souk works to help pay for her husband’s education.  He becomes a teacher, and although he would prefer his wife not to work, he knows that the sea is in her blood.

Ma-ji moves to the “big city” and changes is ways that Young-souk fails to fully appreciate.  When a tragic event occurs on the island, Young-souk breaks off all ties with Ma-ji.  Still tied to Ma-ji, however, she still secretly yearns for her friend.

I knew virtually nothing about Korea and the occupation following World War II.  This gave me an overview, which piqued my interest to research other materials for the events described in this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Read: April 10, 2019

4.5 Stars

Books Set in Asia: China

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See (2017)

This novel follows Li-Yan, a young girl of the Akha people, one of the 55 ethnic minorities of China. The Akha people live in a remote part of southern China and make their living through the farming of tea.  The novel delves into the customs of the Akha people.

Li-Yan falls in love with San-pa, a young man from a neighboring community.  Her parents are not keen on San-pa, claiming that he is lazy and a bad match.  Li-Yan is studious and has an opportunity to become the first in her village to attend college.  San-pa ostensibly leaves the community to earn money so that he and Li-Yan can marry.

After he leaves, Li-Yan finds herself pregnant.  A baby out of marriage, however, is considered a "human reject" in the Akha tradition, and must be killed.  Li-Yan and her mother, however, buck this tradition and the baby is dropped off at an orphanage, along with a tea cake, in a neighboring city.

Later, when San-pa returns to marry Li-Yan, they return together to the orphanage to reclaim their child.  They learn, however, that the baby was adopted by an American couple.

The novel then follows Li-Yan and her yearning for her lost daughter.  Li-Yan ultimately becomes a successful tea merchant.  We also get snippets of the daughter's struggle living in California with white parents.

I enjoyed this novel and, having recently returned from an extended trip to China, was intrigued to read about much of the descriptions of China to be exactly as I experienced.  I gave this novel 4 stars because at a certain point the thread of the story became a bit too far-fetched.

Read:  December 10, 2017

4 Stars