Publishers Weekly
05/15/2023
Poet Chin-Tanner debuts with the poignant if somewhat mechanical story of a Chinese American family in the 1950s. Victor, eight, and his 13-year-old brother, Henry, leave their loving mother Mei Wan in China to settle in New York City with their father, Sam. Henry feels betrayed that Sam has taken up with a Jewish New Yorker named Ruth, who tries to love the brothers as her own children. She notices a rash on Victor shortly before he begins to have painful symptoms and is diagnosed at 15 with Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy. Due to Sam’s U.S. military service in WWII, Victor is eligible for treatment at a government hospital and sent to one in Louisiana. There, he discovers his talent for the piano. He falls for fellow patient Judy, a Jewish girl who’s mistreated by her beau, Donny, a handsome Chinese teenager. Henry cautions Victor against telling their mother about his condition in his letters home to her. It all comes to a head when Ruth finds out she’s pregnant and Mei Wan announces she’s coming to New York. Though the plotlines feel a bit rote, Chin-Tanner shines in her depictions of loyalty and familial obligation, Ruth’s in particular. Though clunky at times, the multicultural elements add an appealing layer to this drama. (July)
From the Publisher
"[A] lush drama about belonging." —Good Housekeeping
“King of the Armadillos offers a window into a world I didn’t know existed, with relatable characters and a nuanced plot…an engrossing, enjoyable read.” —Book Reporter
"You’ll find you are holding your breath at many points of this story." —Amy Loewy, Southern Bookseller Review
"Chin-Tanner’s exacting details render little-known medical history, deftly interwoven with the Chinese American experience, from paper sons to debilitating racism to bifurcated identity, to create a satisfying, polyphonic narrative about the intricate relationships within families by birth and circumstance..." —Booklist
“The historical perspective, empathy across cultures and centuries, vivid sensory insight and unremitting though forgiving honesty, all entwined with the book’s sheer riveting romance, family tragedy, humble epic sweep, and coming-of-age storytelling, is phenomenal… Wendy Chin-Tanner has reached high and deep among the shelves of family and community experience, and retrieved a masterwork.” —HiLobrow Magazine
"King of the Armadillos pulses with the miraculous: the power of art and heart to heal a body from the inside-out. Excavating a history that comes at an important moment in the present tense, the novel asks: how do we want to treat each other in the face of dangerous tensions around otherness and illness? Wendy Chin-Tanner answers with her art. A triumph." —Lidia Yuknavitch, bestselling and acclaimed author of The Book of Joan
“Engrossing, rich with emotion, and loaded with unforgettable characters, King of the Armadillos is a mesmerizing work of historical fiction.” —Alex Segura, bestselling and acclaimed author of Secret Identity
"A beautifully written story of a young man struggling with Hansen’s disease that captures both the tragedy and triumph of Carville." —Pam Fessler, author of Carville’s Cure: Leprosy, Stigma, and the Fight for Justice
"This remarkable, brilliant book shows us the power of exile—and the dreams of freedom. Wendy Chin-Tanner pulls back the veil on a federal leprosarium in the 1950s, with a rich cast of characters who find refuge in art and love. Inspired by her own family history, it rings with authenticity and delight, finding great joy even in sorrow. An absolute treasure of a book." —Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder
"Wendy Chin-Tanner’s King of the Armadillos is both a moving coming-of-age story and a fiercely intelligent love letter to the author’s father. It is beautifully written and entertaining, but doesn’t shy away from questions of race, class, and belonging. A fantastic debut." —Cari Luna, author of The Revolution of Every Day
NOVEMBER 2023 - AudioFile
Feodor Chin recounts this illuminating story of a Chinese American youth sent to an institution for those with leprosy, more benignly called Hansen's disease. Taking place in the 1950s, it is a coming-of-age novel that includes phobias, prejudice, teen romances, family obligations, and a considerable amount of medical information. Chin, an experienced actor, displays his skills in his many characterizations. He captures the Southern, educated voice of Dr. Bayer, the skilled surgeon who treats Victor, the protagonist, and gives credible voices to the nursing sisters and the many other patients, as well. He also ensures that the subplots and tangential characters--all interesting and relevant to the story--are vibrantly real. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
