Cheryl
asked
Lisa See:
Hello! I just finished reading your latest novel, The Island of Sea Women. It was amazing! I loved all of the historical details, as well as your characterization of Young-sook and Ming-ja in the story. I felt like I learned so much about a place and time in history, about which I previously was unaware. I was wondering what inspired you to write about the haenyeo of Jeju Island?
Lisa See
I was inspired by the haenyeo. They are extraordinary women--their skills, their age, their endurance, their courage. I'd been thinking about writing about them for about eight years. There came a point when I realized that if I wanted to interview the divers I had to write this book now, because I couldn't wait five, ten, or fifteen years when people are in their late eighties and early nineties.
More Answered Questions
Mary Ann
asked
Lisa See:
I love your books and so appreciate the detail that goes into them. I recently finished "On Gold Mountain" (had a hard time putting it down!) How often do you base characters on members of your family and their experiences? Their history is fascinating, and I'm happy to have learned so much about the early Chinese-American experience ... thanks for sharing these courageous, strong, amazing people with us!
Amanda
asked
Lisa See:
I'm reading Lady Tan, and I'd assumed the characters were using Mandarin. The main character indicates that she uses "he" to refer to a baby in the womb and this subtlety wasn't lost on her listner. However, in spoken Mandarin there is no difference in "he" and "she"; they are both "ta." The difference is only in the written character. I'm curious: is this is an oversight/mistake? And if not, how did she say "he"?
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