I’m currently listening to The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. It’s fascinating historical fiction set on the Korean island of JeJu where women hold the power and perform dangerous physical work while the men stay at home and care for children. Shout out to Amy Makechnie for recommending it!
I’ll have more about the novel’s exploration of the lives of women when I review the full book, but today, as we continue to debate growing climate concerns, I want to focus on the women’s attitude about the sea. The Island of Sea Women describes how a collective of women dives regularly in the ocean, without much equipment besides goggles and a knife, to gather sea creatures and plants to eat or sell. As the years pass by, and technology improves, their gear changes. But when some suggest they start wearing oxygen tanks on their backs to increase their safety and the lengths of their dives, the main character, Young-sook, and her diving companions refuse. Young-sook says:
Everything we do must be natural. Otherwise we’ll harvest too much, deplete our wet fields, and earn nothing.
The women of this book strive for a sense of balance. It governs how they interact with their world.
Imagine how different our world would be if we all practiced similar self-restraint, even when it meant sacrificing convenience, in order to maintain a sense of balance within our environment.
Thanks for imagining with me. Wait, maybe we should do more than imagine. Maybe we should practice some self-restraint in the name of balance right now! What do you think?
YAY! Such a gem. Love your opening take and insight…
Thank you!! So glad I took your recommendation!
Oh, what an apt and wonderful recommendation! I’ve been fascinated by these real-life sea divers for years (I even have a secret picture book manuscript about them that isn’t worthy of sending to anyone). Thanks so much for highlighting this book!
Hey – it’s an awesome picture book idea! Think of all the girls you could inspire. Maybe you could edit? 😉