The Queen of Tears

by Chris McKinney

"[McKinney] has a keen eye for details of places and people. The storyline is well developed. . . . McKinney is pitch-perfect on the social and racial climate of Hawaiians, Asians, immigrants, mixed-bloods, and whites (haoles). . . . The frequent dialogues are crisp and pointed and the sharply etched characters and often biting dialogue make The Queen of Tears a worthwhile read."- Korean Quarterly "McKinney's portrait of a besieged woman within a multicultural, multigenerational family saga poignantly and powerfully dramatizes the troubles women face, the pan-Asian melting pot of Hawaiian culture, and the conflicts inherent in Americanization."- Booklist
"McKinney demonstrates a talent for restraint and tight pacing."- Publishers Weekly By age fourteen she was on her own, fleeing the communists, a waif living in the streets of Seoul, begging from American soldiers and stealing food. Then fate She was hit by a car driven by a prominent filmmaker. He mentored her into an acting career. By age nineteen, Park Soong Nan was the brightest star of Korean cinema. They called her "The Queen of Tears." Many years later, her three grown children are settled in Hawaii, and she comes to visit. Soong's presence is catalytic, setting off smoldering jealousies, dormant longings, and the unending contest for primacy in her affection. Chris McKinney is the author of The Tattoo and Bolohead Row. He received both his BA and MA in English from the University of Hawaii and currently teaches at Honolulu Community College. He resides in Honolulu.

Genres: Fiction

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Chris McKinney is a Korean, Japanese, Scottish American writer born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the author of the Water City trilogy. Book one was named a Best Mystery of 2021 by Publisher's Weekly and a Best Speculative Mystery of 2021 by CrimeReads. All three books received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist called book three a "satisfying conclusion to a magnificent trilogy (that) offers a real treat for sf fans." In 2024, Honolulu Magazine named McKinney "Author of the Year" for his Water City trilogy.

Chris has written six other novels: The Tattoo, The Queen of Tears, Bolohead Row, Mililani Mauka, Boi No Good, and Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity.

In 2011, Chris was appointed Visiting Distinguished Writer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Over the years, he has won one Elliot Cades Award and seven Kapalapala Pookela Awards.

He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Michelle Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly depressing Korean family saga.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exile actress goes to Hawaii to attend her son wedding to a stripper. This family drama tells the story of one family and three generation, from the grandmother who was a famous actress in Korea, to her children, all struggling to live under her shadow and lack of present, to the grandson, the only hope of the family.

This is the story about trauma and how different people cope with it. The women in this story shine as each one got given a strong story and grace to move and grow. I like espcially the grandmother and the daughter character and their relationship. The writing was gripping and pulled me in. However, the second half was a melodrama and one event, I felt was not handle well.

Overall a 4.25 out of 5 plate lunches.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way thos book was written. My only dislike was that the end of the book seemed to come very quickly and didn't give readers much of an explanation of some things. That wouldn't have mattered too much except the rest of the story and character development was so detailed, i would have enjoyed the ending much more if it would have wrapped up the same way.

[Celena · Rating 3 out of 5]

hated the ending. kinda confusing to follow along

[Sholeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

just not buying it, some character development then most of them act out of character

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multi-generational family saga with each character so relatable and complex. The story is a little all over the place, but the characters keep it engaging and interesting.

[Aparna Singh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story with a lot of potential and some memorable characters but the skill doesn't quite match up to telling it well.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the last book of chris mckinney's that i read.i actually liked the tattoo and bolohead row better. i still love his writing.but i guess i didnt feel as much as a connection as i did the other two.although i did like it.he gets straight to the point,gets you to totally know and feel all the characters in the story. i wasnt expecting the ending at all.i cant wait till he comes out with another book

[Yoonmee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good at The Tattoo, McKinney's most well-known book. For some reason, I just can't get into his writing. He spends too much time telling as opposed to showing. Characters are too stereotypical.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A former Korean actress visits her disintegrating family in Hawaii and we learn about her past. Depressing ending.

[Sherrianne]

Bot as good as The Tattoo. Hard to start reading in the beginning

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this mass market paperback while on vacation in Hawaii and enjoyed it. A longer review appears at www.cloquetriverpress.com.
Mark

[Zuzka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris McKinney, you pulled it off again! One of the most amazing and captivating contemporary page turners. Thank you!

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dismal failure of a book and a waste of my time

I kept waiting for the story to become coherent. It never did. This is not a story of contemporary Hawaii.

[Ronalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shocking ending.