From the bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet comes a powerful novel, inspired by a true story, about a boy whose life is transformed at Seattle’s epic 1909 World’s Fair.“An evocative, heartfelt, beautifully crafted story that shines a light on a fascinating, tragic bit of forgotten history.”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale For twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a … Nightingale
For twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a charity student at a boarding school, the chance to go to the World’s Fair feels like a gift. But only once he’s there, amid the exotic exhibits, fireworks, and Ferris wheels, does he discover that he is the one who is actually the prize. The half-Chinese orphan is astounded to learn he will be raffled off—a healthy boy “to a good home.”
The winning ticket belongs to the flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel, famous for educating her girls. There, Ernest becomes the new houseboy and befriends Maisie, the madam’s precocious daughter, and a bold scullery maid named Fahn. Their friendship and affection form the first real family Ernest has ever known—and against all odds, this new sporting life gives him the sense of home he’s always desired.
But as the grande dame succumbs to an occupational hazard and their world of finery begins to crumble, all three must grapple with hope, ambition, and first love.
Fifty years later, in the shadow of Seattle’s second World’s Fair, Ernest struggles to help his ailing wife reconcile who she once was with who she wanted to be, while trying to keep family secrets hidden from their grown-up daughters.
Against a rich backdrop of post-Victorian vice, suffrage, and celebration, Love and Other Consolations is an enchanting tale about innocence and devotion—in a world where everything, and everyone, is for sale.
Praise for Love and Other Consolation Prizes
“Exciting . . . [Jamie] Ford captures the thrill of first kisses and the shock of revealing long-hidden affairs.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Strong . . . A laudable effort that shines light on little known histories.”—Library Journal
“Poignant . . . Vibrantly rendered.”—Booklist
“Combining rich narrative and literary qualities, the book achieves a multi-faceted emotional resonance. It is by turns heart-rending, tragic, disturbing, sanguine, warm, and life-affirming. Perceptive themes that run throughout culminate at the end. A true story from the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition inspired this very absorbing and moving novel. Highly recommended.”—Historical Novel Society (Editors’ choice)
“Ford is a master at shining light into dark, forgotten corners of history and revealing the most unexpected and relatable human threads. . . . A beautiful and enthralling story of resilience and the many permutations of love.”—Jessica Shattuck, author of The Women in the Castle
“All the charm and heartbreak of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet . . . Based on a true story, Love and Other Consolation Prizes will warm your soul.”—Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls
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An evocative, heartfelt, beautifully crafted story that shines a light on a fascinating, tragic bit of forgotten history.
A half-Chinese orphan is excited to experience the first Seattle World’s Fair… Until he realizes he’s being auctioned off as one of the prizes. This story drifts back-and-forth from the perspective of that orphan — to the man he becomes nearly sixty years later.
His story focuses on themes of friendship, race, and morality in the “seedy” red-light district of Seattle. A lyrical meditation on social conscience during the turn of the century.
I loved it, although there is a lot of fiction, it is based on a real person and how things were at the turn of the century (1909) and 1962 in Seattle, WA. I don’t live in Seattle but it is nice to read how things were in place you know.
1909 Seattle was a time when houses of ill repute were advertised and young Asian children were bought, smuggled into America and sold for the best price. You will first meet Ernest (a name he will later be known as after he is smuggled into America) in 1962 on the opening day of the World’s Fair in Seattle as he remembers his first Seattle World’s Fair and the years before and after that day. Ernest was sold by his mother and brought onboard a ship sailing to America with other Asian boys and girls that were purchased and would be resold in America. The shuttling of human cargo is not new to his country and this story of love found and continued over the years is both sad and heart warming. Beginning in a children’s home to finally being auctioned at the World’s Fair and won by an owner of a house in the Tenderloin district young Ernest faces hardship and moments of strength. A powerfully written book about a time that will make you cringe with despair but cheer for the love that finds it way through the sadness.
A poignant love story set against the background of the Seattle world fairs of 1909 and 1962.
A new book by the author of “The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”, which I really enjoyed. I liked this book equally. It begins with the smothering of an infant girl in China as her perplexed toddler brother looks on. What follows is the remarkable, loosely based in history story of a young Chinese boy, sold by his mother as she starves, to an American smuggler. He ends up at a terrible Children’s Home, then is raffled off as a prize at a “world’s fair” in Seattle in 1906 to the madame of a brothel in the Tenderloin district, but a brothel where all the women and staff create a family of sorts and all are encouraged to become educated. What follows is a beautiful love story and the story of three lives intertwined. It is also a story of the hypocrisy of so-called Christians, the plight of women in the early twentieth century and the greed of a capitalistic society that has no moral underpinning. All in all, it was an exceptionally dear and sweet story about the abiding power of love and a scathing reminder of the hypocrisy and racism that runs in our culture.
I loved this book! I love all of Jamie Fords work!!!
A great story from a different perspective. A bit of a mystery, a bit of a romance, a bit heroic. A glimpse of history, although not a true story, some of the characters are based on real people. My book club read it and everyone loved it.
Ernest Young has had many hardships in his young life. He and his mother lived in dire poverty. He saw his infant sister die and his mother starving. When his mother, having no other choice, finally sent him away on a ship, he wondered what his future held.
For a time, he was the ward of a wealthy woman, until she took him to the world’s fair one day. What a surprise it was to learn that he was being raffled off as a prize! Who held the winning ticket? He discovered that the madam of a thriving brothel won him. His life was about to change.
This wonderful story of Ernest takes place in the 1960’s. Little-by-little, Ernest flashes back to his childhood, sharing his story with the reader. Tender and authentic, this is a beautiful story about life and its often very unexpected twists and turns. It is about survival, love and life and the surprising way that things often turn out.
I received this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Enjoyed reading about this period of time.
Illustrates the power of love even though the characters are flawed. This is not a predictable love story; the characters build a life based on tragic circumstances. This is a book about the instinct for survival, adaptation and the power of loving relationships.
I’ve recommended this book to dozens of friends!!
Love all of this authors books. This one was good-loved how he attached the story to 2 world fairs.
Great pieces of history. I live near Seattle so it really brought areas to life.
This takes us to post WWII Seattle when drinking still wasn’t allowed on Sundays and children in Asia were sold to Americans to be servants. Great read.
Not quite up to the caliber of Ford’s “Bitter and Sweet” but still worth your while …
A great read by one of my favorite authors.
Wonderful writing & informative.
Interesting
I loved the characters in this book who had to survive such difficult beginnings and found love anyway. It was informative and a part of history I knew little about. Highly recommend this!