Just finished this book about a women’s diving cooperative on the small Korean island of Jeju in mid-20th century. To be honest, I didn’t find the characters particularly compelling, and the “strength of women’s friendships” that some readers feel this book celebrates seemed to me diminished by pettiness and failures of forgiveness, but the way women wielded the earning power and other historical aspects were fascinating. This small island was overrun repeatedly, by the Japanese before WWII, North Koreans, and Americans (during the Korean War). Personal and collective loyalties shift, and these women just keep diving into the sea for octopus, oysters, and abalone to keep their families alive. Definitely worth a read.
No comments:
Post a Comment