Chris McKinney

Soong, a 14-year-old orphan, walked barefoot from a village in North Korea to Seoul and became cinema's favourite heroine, The Queen of Tears'. Years later, she travels to Hawaii to strengthen out the lives of her children and grandchildren. 'What amazes me is McKinney's gift: his deep understanding of our cultures and subcultures, the nuances of relationships that coexist therein, his excellent prose that tells an intensely felt story with stunning fictive music, his unflinching look at ourselves in a way that is recognisably disconcerting.' - Lois-Ann Yamanaka, author'