I enjoyed reading The Mermaid from Jeju. Prior to reading I was unfamiliar with Jeju island and how people lived compared to the mainland. This story originally interested me based on the haenyeo and how they dive to harvest from the ocean not just to feed their families but provide a livelihood.

The story alternates between a 1940s Korea and modern day in the U.S. circling around the protagonist Junja. We see her as a young girl fall in love with the first time and innocently get entangled in the political upheaval of her time. Her grandmother was quite the schemer and did more to protect her family than Junja realizes. As the story progresses, we see her connect with Suwol and their story is enthralling and heartbreaking.

Hahn incorporated just enough cliffhangers throughout the story to keep me on my toes. The book is sweeping, tragic, heartbreaking, and yet full of hope. This is an impressive debut novel from Hahn!

The only part I struggled with was the ending, it seemed to get cluttered and felt sped up when I think a couple more pages to flesh out the scene would have been helpful.

Fans of Pachinko will like this book, and anyone who enjoys split time narratives, family sagas, and stories about living with grief.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

thank you to NetGalley & Alcove Press for providing me with an e-arc!

this historical novel was heartbreaking, gut-wrenching and tear-jerking in all the right ways. especially considering the fact that this was a debut, it absolutely blew me away. I really enjoyed learning more about this dark era in Korea’s past through the lives of these fictional characters, who all felt so real and were beautifully written. the author used multiple characters and timelines to explore not only the characters’ fight for survival during the war, but also its aftermath and the long lasting effects of trauma which I think worked exceptionally well. I also really enjoyed learning more about Korean culture and the commentary on the juxtaposition between indigenous religions and christianity, the meddling of foreign powers in Asia and the losses of war at the expense of civilians.

my only complaint would have to be that I would have loved to learn more about the characters’ lives after the war and how they dealt with immigrating to the west and adjusting to a new culture while still recovering from their trauma, but at the same time I can see that the length of this novel was perfect the way it was.

trigger warnings for war crimes, trauma, displacement and grief.

this was a fantastic, excellent, beautiful read. Ive read a few books about Jeju island now, as its something I find so beautiful and incredible. this book did an excellent job at representing the island, the characters were fully fleshed and I felt as I was in the pages with them.

Thank you to Alcove Press & NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstore!

Prior to reading Sumi Hahn's gorgeous historical fiction in The Mermaid from Jeju, I had no idea about the rich cultural heritage of Jeju Island or the storied history of the haenyeo women.

The book is roughly split into two parts - Junja's perilous existence during the start of the Korean American War as she navigates the unexpected death of her mother, her new growing relationship with Suwol and an ever growing precarious political climate which makes it hard to differentiate between friend and foe. Along the way, we meet Junja's grandmother, a cunning & wily woman who protects her at all costs. This part of the book is incredibly detailed, with gorgeous descriptions of the Korean countryside & vivid recollections of an idyllic past.

The second part of this epic novel dives into the present, starting with Junja's untimely passing. It mostly focuses on her husband, Dr. Moon, and his own reckoning as a Nationalist soldier during the Korean American War. What I liked about this narrative is the way it complicated history & strived to view each character as human, no matter what side of the war they were on. In fact, as Constable once says, "There are no good guys in War."

Overall, I enjoyed the book! My only critique would be that it felt it could be split into two separate books as the two halves are quite different in content, theme and narrative style.

This was a really powerful story on what happened in South Korean, especially in Jeju, during WW2. I liked the everyday life aspect we had and the different types of characters. But the story also felt a bit unfinished for me and i think it's due to the author's writing style that doesn't completely match with me. Overall this is a great story that could interest anyone who wants to learn more about this time in history in Korea and about korean folklore in general.

The Mermaid From Jeju was a good story it was very sad, and I really felt the sadness during the whole book but still was good.

The only complaint that I had is that I had a very hard time keeping tabs on the stories, I had to re-read a few times to understand what characters were speaking or why it was happening like this, the format of the book wasn't finished at the moment so that made it harder but no worries I keep reading and enjoying the craziness of some of the situations that were happening on Junja's life.

it was a hard book to read as I mentioned before because the sad feeling permeates the entire story and is written post WW2 but if you're looking for a historical novel this one is good.

The story is written in two parts Junja's and Junjan's husband's story. this is where I got a little confused. I did enjoy Junja story but her husband was a little tamed I mean I felt Junja was stronger characters and even bolder than her husband.. but that's only what I felt while reading their story

I'm not going to write more details as I really don't want to give away anything just enjoy the book and the amazing magic of each character.

Overall, This was a good debut novel. However, it wasn't what I expected to read. I thought the story was going to be based on the female mermaid divers but I missed that part of the story. Mermaids of Jeju is a dual time line that is based on present day and post Korean War. I did like the whimsical first few chapters and they were probably my favorite overall. I did find the content a little confusing at times and had to restart the book multiple times to understand it. Overall, This book leans more toward historical fiction than that of a woman's fiction genre.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

I’m a huge fan of Historical South East Asian literature because I’m so interested in the differences and similarities in culture between countries, the rich traditions, the beliefs, the landscapes etc so when I saw this book, it was a no brainer.

Sumi Hahn has woven fiction with history seamlessly in a tale that is set in the late 1940s, just after the Japanese occupation and during the time of the US Troops & the tragic 4.3 Incident. Using this perilous political climate as the backdrop to this novel, Hahn shares the life of Junja, a young Korean girl, who is known as a haenyeo. (Haenyeo are women who dive in the waters near Jeju to search for seafood.) There is so much I learnt about these women, their beliefs and the traditions surrounding them through this book and researching them later and it’s something I highly recommend to everyone as it proves for an interesting read.

Although Hahn wrote some beautiful quote worthy phrases at the beginning of the book, it is the end of the novel that stood out for me. And I think that might be the first time I’ve ever read a book with such a strong ending.

If you are interested in history, South Korea and a story about a young girl who is trying to navigate life during the aftermath of WW2 then I highly recommend this book.

The story is set after WWII on the magical island of Jeju in Korea. The story is told in two parts. The first part centers around young haenyeo diver Junja's journey. The second half of the book focuses on her husband. Although I liked the overall story, the second part of the book didn't really do it for me. It was very different from the first and I would have preferred her husband's story to incorporated differently. I love historical fiction and enjoyed the spiritual and magical realism that was sprinkled throughout the story. Thank you, NetGalley!

I give this book a 4.5. For those who have read Lisa See's The Island of Sea Women, you'll be familiar with the haeneyo, the women who are deep sea divers in Korea. But, this is a very different story.

Told in two parts, divided between post-WW2 Korea and present-day United States, we learn about Junja, a young girl who has become a successful haeneyo, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. She convinces her mother to allow her to make the annual trip to trade abalone for a piglet, and while she's gone she discovers a new, wealthier world and falls in love with Suwol. When she returns home, she finds her mother dying after a diving accident, and she falls into deep mourning. But, her grandmother has other plans for her besides letting her sink into her grief forever, and when Suwol is arrested for harboring communists, Junja has to act.

The second part of this book deals with Junja's husband coping with her death (which we learn about right at the beginning of the book,) while being haunted by ghosts of the past. He makes a pilgrimage back to Korea to try to regain some control and say goodbye.

I loved the magical realism elements in this book. That the gods and ghosts and superstitions were just taken as absolute truth made it more interesting. It was especially interesting later in the book when we find that Junja later embraces Christianity, and I would have liked to see that develop a bit more, in terms of how she balanced her past beliefs with her future ones. I really enjoyed learning more about the history of Korea, especially following WW2 as everything was changing and dividing.

I really liked the female characters in this book, especially Junja's grandmother. Some of her background his alluded to, and it was nice to see a strong, smart female character who successfully balances her beliefs and customs with a changing and oftentimes violent world where she manages to fight for a positive change. And, I liked how Junja seemed to be aware of this, even without knowing all the backstory. And I really liked the sisters who owned the restaurant, and I appreciated how they were tied in later in the book instead of just disappearing as side characters. On the other hand, the men were just eh and came off as more two-dimensional than the women.

I also had a bit of trouble when switching between Part One and Part Two of this book. It felt like an airbag deployed in the switch between the two stories. And while they did come together well in the end, I think I would have liked a Part 1.5 to learn more about their lives in the middle. Perhaps a later book could explore some of that?

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It is beautifully written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review It has not influenced my opinion.

Set in both 1943 and in 2001; and in the United States and on the island of Jeju, Korea; The Mermaid of Jeju is a wonderful story of resilience, family tradition, and love. A big ★★★★★ for Sumi Hahn’s debut novel.

I loved so many things about this book. I loved the characters, who were complex and relatable (personality wise). I loved the Korean mythology and cultural references. I loved the love stories. I particularly loved the way Hahn wrote this book with such lyrical writing but also rooted in deep Korean traditions.

If you loved The Night Tiger (which I did and have a full review HERE), then this The Mermaid from Jeju is perfect for you. While the book is filled with less magical realism, the story Hahn has put together is just as magical. I had dreams multiple nights in a row of visiting this beautiful island.

Told in two parts, the story telling is vibrant and rich. In part one we follow our main character Junja, as she comes of age during post World War II, when the Americans were taking over control from the Japanese. We watch her fall in love, lose loved ones, and fight to survive. Part two is told from her husband’s point of view. In this half of the book we learn how the two met but really how they wove their lives from broken threads and how family never truly leaves you.

I’m not going to do this review justice, so I’ll just say that this a fabulous debut, and I’m highly anticipated additional novels from Sumi Hahn. This would be a great book to read as part of a book club, as there are so many aspects to discuss. Huge praise for this lovely historical fiction.

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on The Mermaid from Jeju. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thank you to Crooked Lane Books for my advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Living in South Korea and being quite familiar with the culture and language, I was intrigued by the title of this book and excited to learn more about Jeju's haenyeo. However, the story felt a bit disjointed at times because of the dual timelines. I had to go back several times to piece things together.
•
Moreover, the second part of the book fell completely flat. I would have preferred to stay with Junja. I don't think this book was for me.
•
2,5/5
~ #fridayinaprilbookreviews

I was provided a free eBook copy of this from @NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I was introduced to Jeju and the haenyeo in another phenomenal book. This one was a good read as well, but didn't go into the details about the diving aspect of these amazing women. This is a historical fiction story based during the aftermath of WWII and the political turmoil of the American occupation of the island, but also includes a jump to more modern day. The jump caught me by surprise and was a bit confusing at first catching up with what was going on and who was narrating, but once I figured it out it brought about more interest in finding out what had happened in the past (which is revealed through flashbacks).
If you enjoy historical fiction stories you will enjoy this one about a little talked about past of history!
#TheMermaidFromJeju #NetGalley

The story is told in two parts, the first following Junja as a young woman. The second follows her husband and children.

The writing and the plot are extremely beautiful. It is a very easy book to get hooked into and you end up not wanting to put it down.

Characters are very well written and strong, apart from Junja’s husband. I found him a little boring unfortunately.

The bulk of this novel is wonderful.

The ending, unfortunately for me, was a bit confusing. I felt like I had to re-read it to understand what happened. It seemed to suddenly merge into a legend based story and I didn’t quite understand why or fully understand the resolution.

It is still an amazing debut and a book all fans of historical fiction should read. It taught me about historical events I had not known of before.

A beautiful and heartbreaking take if Junja, a young woman who is a deep sea diver/a haenyeo in Korea around the time of the Second World War. The book focuses on Junja's experiences in Korea, as well as looks at the impact of Japanese Occupation, The American Occupation, and the rise of Communism in Korea. Throughout all of this turmoil, Junja is focused on providing for her family, and feels stuck between doing what is right for her family and doing what she wants. We also learn about the Korean immigration experience in the USA.
-
I like how this book went back and forth between the past and the present so we as the reader could piece together the plot of the story together. The writing was absolutely beautiful and kept me captivated throughout. I couldn't put it down!

While this starts with the death of Junja, it's really about her life and that of her husband, who is haunted not only by her ghost but by his own past. Junja, from a family of divers, finds herself at a crossroads when she returns from a trip to trade abalone for a piglet and finds her mother has died. It's 1944 and despite the privation they've already experienced as a result of WW!!, there's more trouble to come for the people in her village and the men in her life. The issue of communism looms large - those unfamiliar with what happened in Korea during this time period will learn a great deal albeit with the lesson wrapped in a love story. As is obvious from the beginning, Junja and her husband do make it to the US, where they raise two daughters. While the first half of the novel is devoted to Junja, the second is her husband Gun Jo's. It's a slow moving drama which pulls you in. If the first quarter feels simplistic- more YA than adult- stick with it. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC- this is a nice debut and I'm looking forward to more from Hahn.

Junja is an eighteen year old haenyeo (free diving superwoman, honestly) who grew up on Jeju island collecting seaweed and shells.

During her first trip up the mountain she meets a boy called Suwol, and it's clear he's going to become her first love. On her way back down she's rushed home to find her mother on her death bed, due to an "unfortunate diving accident".

Forced to become the head of the family, Junja loses some of her spark and doesn't even dream anymore. Not even Suwol can help. And the war may be over in technical terms, but one occupier just made way for the next.

American soldiers are out hunting "Communists" and, as always, civilians suffer, among them many mountain villages and Suwol's own family.

Will Junja survive and make it out of Jeju or will the darkness swallow her whole?

The story is told in two parts, the first following Junja with very few future (2001) chapters sprinkled here and there. The second almost exclusively follows her husband and children (to a lesser extent).

The transition between the parts left me feeling a little empty. It's as if the best part was cut off and barely even mentioned in the next. Junja's husband just isn't that interesting.

While we're at it, I'm not sure how wise a choice it was to let the reader know who she marries from the get go. A lot more pain (even though there's no shortage of it) could've been caused if that was left for the end.

The writing was extremely beautiful and the plot was as well. It made me cry non stop.

The characters were very vivid and I couldn't dislike anyone apart from the obvious bad guys. My favourite is Peanut, her fate is a little unclear but I'm choosing to believe she and her family got away.

Two other interesting characters are the Grandmother and Constable Lee, both are more than they seem.

The ending was also a bit confusing, too blended...I think there was more room to expand on everything and a dozen or so more pages wouldn't have done the book any harm.

Still, it's a good book, amazing debut and something everyone should have on their shelves.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Finishing this book has made me quantify what a five star read for me actually is; it is one that takes my heart and keeps a small part of it, one that promotes a physical response and one that does not leave me - sometimes ever.
This book is as breath taking as it is heart wrenching; beautiful as it is tragic.

It is a story of what love really means. Set in post WWII Korea and inspired by true events, it follows Goh Junja, a haenyeo, a deep sea diver as she enters womanhood. Told in two timelines and from the perspective of Junja and her husband Dr. Moon, Sumi Hahn's prose is exquisite, lyrical and utterly beguiling. It had me believing in the magic of the sea god, the importance of dreams and the visions of spirits. All told against the more than real backdrop of a painful and hideous part of history, Sumi weaves her tale effortlessly and leaves you wondering about the world around you.... about our history, our beliefs, our cultures, but above all; what it is to be human...

Published on 8 December 2020, I highly recommend it. Thanks to #netgalley and #alcovepress for granting me this ARC and thank you #sumihahn for writing such a beautiful book #themermaidfromjeju has to be one of my best 2020 reads.

I'm so grateful for the advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley for review! The Mermaid from Jeju was captivating.

The book opens very briefly with the death of Junja, and introduces us to her husband, Dr. Moon, and her two daughters. Then, we are instantly transported to post WWII Korea and are following Junja as a young woman haenyo - a woman worth two men. The relationships are so well-developed in this book, especially between Junja and her fiercely brave grandmother. I really appreciated the perspective of not only Junja, whose life is lived from a coastal village backdrop, but of Suwol, her lover, from a well-off mountain family. The different landscapes and contexts shape the experiences of each character, and we see post-war Korea from the coast, the mountain, and the city.

I didn't as much love the last third of the book, which jumps back to 2001, following Dr. Moon's journey back to Korea following the death of his wife.

This is a beautiful story immersing readers in the world of haenyeo, Korean female divers, on the island of Jeju. The story takes us back and forth in time to a young haenyeo named Junja in 1940s Korea and her life as an American senior citizen in the present day.

I enjoyed so much about this book. First, it explores Korean sea culture—the myths, the equipment used while diving, the safety practices, and the foods drawn from the sea. Second, it shares haenyeo culture, a matriarchal society of women who dive for seaweed and shellfish. I had never learned of this society of feminists before.

The book also explores the Korean War, a historical event that many Americans have never studied. A character says there is no right side in a war, and this book illustrates those complexities through its web of characters. The book takes us through the impacts of war on Korean and Korean American senior citizens.

Definitely recommend this to fans of historical fiction and sea culture.

Thanks to NetGalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.