A new contest, tour dates, lots of news about The Island of Sea Women, and more No Images? Click here Lots of News to ShareGreetings, and Happy Chinese New Year! I have so many wonderful things to tell you that I hardly know where to start. The Island of Sea Women will come out one month from today on March 5. I have lots of news about that — some wonderful advance praise, a link to the first 30 or so pages of the novel, a first peek at the tour, and an article — all of which I’ll share with you. I also am announcing the winners from the last contest, starting a new contest, sharing photos from book clubs, and some other neat stuff. So keep reading so you do not miss anything! Like all writers, I write in a room by myself. Like all writers, I don’t know if readers will like what I’ve written or not. (Yes, we writers have a lot of angst about that.) All of this means that the period before a book comes out is one of anxiety and unsettled nerves. Will readers like this one? I’m beyond thrilled to say that some early readers have already expressed their love for The Island of Sea Women. And what readers they are! Kristin Hannah, the author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone, shared the following: “I loved The Island of Sea Women from the very first page. Lisa See has created an enthralling, compelling portrait of a unique culture and a turbulent time in history, but what's really remarkable about this novel is the characters — two women whose lifelong friendship is tested during impossibly difficult times. Compelling, heart-wrenching, and beautifully written, The Island of Sea Women will plunge you into a world and a story you’ve never read before and remind you how powerful women can and must be to survive.” Jodi Picoult, author of A Spark of Light and Small Great Things, wrote: “Lisa See excels at mining the intersection of family, friendship and history, and in her newest novel, she reaches new depths exploring the matrifocal haenyeo society in Korea, caught between tradition and modernization. This novel spans wars and generations, but at its heart is a beautifully rendered story of two women whose individual choices become inextricably tangled.” Sue Monk Kidd, the author of The Invention of Wings and The Secret Life of Bees, had this to say: “I was spellbound the moment I entered the vivid and little-known world of the diving women of Jeju. Set amid sweeping historical events, The Island of Sea Women is the extraordinary story of Young-sook and Mi-ja, of women’s daring, heartbreak, strength, and forgiveness. No one writes about female friendship, the dark and the light of it, with more insight and depth than Lisa See.” Can you imagine how I felt when my publisher sent those to me? I was literally dancing around the house. Then the first review arrived. It’s from Booklist. Here’s my favorite part: “A stupendous multigenerational family saga, See’s latest also provides an enthralling cultural anthropology highlighting the soon-to-be-lost, matriarchal haenyeo phenomenon and an engrossing history of violently tumultuous twentieth-century Korea. A mesmerizing achievement.” I’ve never had the word “stupendous” used in a review for one of my books, so now you must imagine that when I read it I was dancing on the walls and ceiling for joy. You can read the full review here. The Book Made These Great ListsThe new book has been popping up on lists of books to read in 2019. On the following lists, you’ll find not only The Island of Sea Women but also some great ideas for other books to read this year: Oprah Magazine’s 25 Most Anticipated Books for 2019 Has all this whetted your appetite to read a little of The Island of Sea Women? My publisher says I can share what I call Day 1 (which is a bit like a prologue) and Chapter 1. Tour DatesI’ll be going out on a huge book tour for The Island of Sea Women. I’ll be going to California, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Illinois, Arizona, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Canada. Most of the events are free, but there are some that require a ticket. Here’s a first glimpse of the tour. I so hope to see some of you out there on the road! You Can Pre-Order Your Copy NowYou can pre-order the book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and your local independent bookstore. About the BookMi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends who come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby divers, they know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility but also danger. Despite their love for each other, Mi-ja and Young-sook’s differences are impossible to ignore. The Island of Sea Women is an epoch set over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War and its aftermath, through the era of cell phones and wet suits for the women divers. Throughout this time, the residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and she will forever be marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that after surviving hundreds of dives and developing the closest of bonds, forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point. This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story — one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them — The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives. Contest TimeCongratulations to Whitney Child (Utah), Nina Jackson (California), Maryann Osborn (North Carolina), Elvira Pena (Florida) and Teresa Shuff (Iowa), who won the last contest for the advance reader’s edition of The Island of Sea Women. Now I have a contest for five copies of the finished book! Enter by Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 11:59pm ET to win one of five finished copies of The Island of Sea Women. Please note that this contest is only open to residents of the United States. I will be doing another contest for Canadian readers on my Facebook page. Book Club NewsI’m still talking to book clubs. Thank you to the hosts — Paulette Lutjens, Lynn Poole, Joyce Schreitmueller and Liz Fetter — for sending photos for me to share. Paulette Lutjens’ book club
Lynn Poole’s book club Joyce Schreitmueller’s book club Liz Fetter's book club You can start signing up to have me join your book club on Skype to talk about The Island of Sea Women by writing to me directly at Lisa@LisaSee.com. If you use the subject line "Book Club Chat Request", it would be great. Finally, I’m having so much fun on Instagram. I hope you’ll follow along as I embark on the tour. Follow me here. An Interesting ArticleYou know that I always like to include an interesting article in my newsletter. Here’s one about the diving women of Jeju Island. I hope the photos of these women are as inspiring to you as they were to me when I was writing The Island of Sea Women. The year is off to a wild start. I hope we can continue to have fun and adventures together. With all good cheer, |