Episode 034: The Island of Sea Women

Thanks for joining us. This month we are discussing The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See.

Set on the Korean island of Jeju, this story follows Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls from very different backgrounds, as they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective. Over many decades- through the Japanese colonialism of the 1930s and 40s, World War II, the Korean War, and the era of cellphones and wet suits for the women divers- Mi-ja and Young-sook develop the closest of bonds. However, after hundreds of dives and years of friendship, forces outside their control will push their relationship to the breaking point..

Mentioned in this episode:

UNESCO video about the Haenyeo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk7DQLMKBTE

Fong See and On Gold Mountain (Lisa See’s family history)

Monica Highland (Lisa See’s pen name)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Tell us about another book we might like:

Dennis: The Player of Games by Iain M Banks

Kirsten: Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

Trevor: Korea: The Impossible Country by Daniel Tudor and Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles by Simon Winchester

Nerd Words for Word Nerds:

Dennis: Doomscrolling

Trevor: Sumbisori

Kirsten: Woolgathering

Many thanks to everyone who got in touch with us this month.

Next month we’re talking about The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, as selected by the members of our Facebook group.

We’re looking forward to hearing what you think! Join our Facebook group, or follow Winnipeg Public Library on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Email us at wpl-podcast@winnipeg.ca with suggestions, comments, and questions. Visit us at wpl-podcast.winnipeg.ca.

Time to Read is a production of the Winnipeg Public Library. Our panel today included Kirsten Wurmann, Dennis Penner, and Trevor Lockhart.