“Sentimental, heartfelt….the exploration of Henry’s changing relationship with his family and with Keiko will keep most readers turning pages…A timely debut that not only reminds readers of a shameful episode in American history, but cautions us to examine the present and take heed we don’t repeat those injustices.”– Kirkus Reviews “A tender and satisfying novel set in a time and a place … set in a time and a place lost forever, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet gives us a glimpse of the damage that is caused by war–not the sweeping damage of the battlefield, but the cold, cruel damage to the hearts and humanity of individual people. Especially relevant in today’s world, this is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more importantly, it will make you feel.”
— Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
“Jamie Ford’s first novel explores the age-old conflicts between father and son, the beauty and sadness of what happened to Japanese Americans in the Seattle area during World War II, and the depths and longing of deep-heart love. An impressive, bitter, and sweet debut.”
— Lisa See, bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
In the opening pages of Jamie Ford’s stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.
This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholarshipping” at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship–and innocent love–that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.
Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.
Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.
BONUS: This edition contains a Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet discussion guide and an excerpt from Jamie Ford’s Songs of Willow Frost.
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Has it all! One of my favorites to recommend! Great all around! Read twice! Audio once!!
It’s easy to get to know and become invested in the characters.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a relatively quick read about the clash of cultures – Asian and American – on the West Coast during WWII. The author deftly examines what it means to be an American, to be young, to be a child in a country at war, while also exploring fear, both raw, wartime fear, and the more insidious “fear of the …
Great historical novel. Brought home a tragic time in our history. Hope we never forget the way we can turn on others in a confusing and brutal time
I grew up in Seattle and reading this book was like walking through the streets of my memories laced with a perspective I’ve never seen. Its a story of being different and being the same. It has innocent hope that people need to remember to hold on to no matter the circumstance.
This historical fiction book takes you to a multicultural part of Seattle during WWII. The interactions of the characters are real and engaging. A really good read!
This book would make a wonderful movie. Some great history lessons here without hitting you over the head. Entertaining too.
Interesting view into race relations, family traditions and Japanese internment during WWII. Very thought-provoking but a good read with real characters.
Insight into Japanese immigrants and their treatment during WWII.
A wonderful story of familial relations as well as fascinating study of US actions during WWII. Characters that I feel like I encounter while wandering in Seattle long after reading.
Wonderful reading.
Great story about a sad time in our history. The characters are authentic and believable
A beautifully written historical novel surrounding the treatment of Japanrse Americans during WWll.
Well written and touching. We need to remember what happened to Japanese Americans during WWII. Our Book Club is reading this book in January at my recommendation.
I am glad that authors are still taking the time to write books about the hidden aspects of the detention, in the USA, that occurred during this country’s war torn years of WWII. It is an awful legacy, left out of our history books, but one that needs to be shared. We need to put faces to the humans, whose lives were altered forever, because of …
I read the book several years ago and I really liked it. It is sad to hear about the intolerance that took and continues to take place in our country.
Sometimes you love a book right away, but sometimes the story needs to sink into your soul and the love grows as you read. This book was the latter for me. It is well written and interesting to read. The emotions are real. And I appreciate the satisfying ending.
Told in alternating sections of past and present, the reader learns about life for …
A terrific book for those who knew nothing about the treatment of Japanese Americans in WW2. I would especially recommend for YA.
Sad. Beautiful. Haunting. Recommended!
Loved this book beautifully written