“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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The internment of the Japanese in WW II tarnishes our history, and has sad parallels to the present, though in the case of the Japanese most had come legally and had a long history here. Nonetheless they lost businesses, properties, and social ties. This is the story over many generations of a Japanese girl and her Caucasian friend.
An amazing historical story by an accomplished author. I hope to see this as a movie some day.
did not get past the first chapter
Exceptional. I believe this was a debut offering by Ford.
Loved this book. Gave one a glimpse into the tragedy of US History
Love a great historical fiction. Goodbye character building
Loved it. Just finished his 3rd novel, can’t wait for more.
Great story and wonderful historical context!!!
Read the entire book, but mostly because of the hype. Story was OK, and at times touching, but story was not riveting. Took me a long time to finish.
Wonderful story and very well-written!
An outstanding telling of a dark period in American history that many people are unaware of. It is beautifully written and captures the fears, racism, and injustice in this country during WWII. However, the innocence and sincerity of the main character is redeeming and heartfelt. A must read!
Amazing book about the trials of Japanese war camps the hardships, friendship, anguish and family hardships.
I really enjoyed this book. A very good story, very well written, and it was clean! A great read!
Understanding of the American Japanese during WWII
I enjoyed this book. I did not really know much about the Chinese and Japanese living in Washington State during World War II
The horrible treatment of American citizens of Japanese descent has been the subject of many books. This story is very poignant. I personally know several people who were taken to the camps as little children and this book vividly describes some of what happened to Seattle residents at the beginning of WW II.
The is truly a good book. You won’t be disappointed.
Khartoum to really imagine what the Japanese Americans went thru after Pearl Harbour. Well written. And loved the ending
As a ‘baby boomer’ WWII is just history to me. I knew about the way we treated our Japanese citizens but I didn’t really know. Henry and Keiko developed the kind of love that truly transcended the hate and bigotry around them. This book brought it all to life for me and I loved it right to the last word.
There were sad parts, but it was well written and based on history.