Alexander Chee
4 SeriesAlexander Chee, an American author, was born in Rhode Island and spent his childhood across South Korea, Kauai, Truk, Guam, and Maine. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Chee has received numerous accolades, including the Asian American Writers Workshop Literary Award, the Lambda Editor’s Choice Prize, the Michener/Copernicus Fellowship Prize, the 2003 Whiting Award, and the 2004 NEA Fellowship in Fiction. He currently resides in Massachusetts.
In "The Queen of the Night" by Alexander Chee, Lilliet Berne, a renowned soprano in Paris, is offered a chance at immortality with an original opera role. However, she discovers the libretto is based on a secret from her past, known only to four people—one dead, one in love with her, one seeking to possess her, and one she hopes has forgotten her. As Lilliet searches for the betrayer, she reflects on her journey from an American orphan to a celebrated singer. Her path took her through the highs and lows of Second Empire Paris, where she transformed from a hippodrome rider to a courtesan, and finally to a debut singer. Amidst this, she navigated a complex web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.
