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"I am a haenyeo. Like my mother, and her mother before her, like my sister will be one day, her daughters too - I was never anything but a woman of the sea. Neither you nor any man can make me less than that." - Mary Lynn Bracht.
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What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear someone speak of the Second World War? Holocaust, undoubtedly. But we often remain uninformed/indifferent to other equally brutal atrocities that were carried out during the war. It was through White Chrysanthemum that I learnt about 'comfort women', a seemingly harmless name that makes sex slaves appear beautiful. When Japan annexed Korea, thousands of young girls and women were taken captive to be sold to factories as cheap labour or worse, were taken as sex slaves. These girls suffered for years under the wrath of Japanese soldiers and most of them disappeared without a trace leaving their families wondering about their existence.
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Set in 1943, Hana and Emiko come from a long line of Haenyeo women (female divers) whose source of livelihood comes from the sea in Jeju Island. From a very young age, daughters of Haenyeo women know that they too will soon seek comfort in the sea, both worshipping and making use of the bounty it has to offer. Hana, the eldest of the two, was always taught to protect her sister from the Japanese soldiers who were known to do horrible things to women. On a day normal like any other, Hana sacrifices herself to a Japanese corporal in order to protect her sister. Little did they know that this will be the last time the two sisters would lay their eyes on each other.
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The book is set in two time slots. While the sixteen year old Hana talks about her life as a prostitute in 1943, Emiko unfurls the truth about her past to her children in 2011. Feeling guilty and living under a blanket of lies for many decades, Emiko still harbours a hope of seeing her sister. Hana, on the other hand speaks of her lost innocence as she was raped by fifteen soldiers on the same night. Her life is never the same after her capture. But the two sisters draw strength from each other in spite of being hundreds of miles apart.
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There were many instances when I felt absolutely helpless, my heart settling into a deeper pit with every act of hatred that was done to Hana. It's important to know that although this was a work of historical fiction, comfort women did exist. Mary has done tremendous research before penning down this beautiful novel so while we read about Hana's life, many women have actually lived it. It pains me to no end thinking of all the families who lost their girls, their lives shrouding in a thick blanket of grief forever. Not only did I learn of comfort women but I also had the chance of knowing about Haenyeo as a profession. The Second World War isn't only about the Holocaust and Pearl Harbor but it also encompasses many other horrendous events/activities. White Chrysanthemum ends differently from what I expected and perhaps this is why I cannot give it five stars. But it still puts forth an important part of history. I highly recommend it.
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Rating : 4.7/5.