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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
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'Ford deftly pulls off a Hollywood-worthy romance, one anchored to a true event. An entertaining and often illuminating tale' THE SPECATOR. 'Mesmerizing and evocative...a tale of conflicted loyalties and devotion' Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. 'An impressive, bitter, and sweet debut' Lisa See, bestselling author of SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN. 'Engrossing...A really good, genuinely heartfelt novel... I think I have fallen a little in love with it' Dovegreyreader. 'Four stars - recommended' Psychologies magazine. 'I can see readily why people are raving about this book...The characterisation is second-to-none, the story is intriguing... A well-told story that it sets itself apart. It's AWESOMELY GOOD!' Booksmonthly.co.uk
Product Description
1986, The Panama Hotel The old Seattle landmark has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made a startling discovery in the basement: personal belongings stored away by Japanese families sent to interment camps during the Second World War. Among the fascinated crowd gathering outside the hotel, stands Henry Lee, and, as the owner unfurls a distinctive parasol, he is flooded by memories of his childhood. He wonders if by some miracle, in amongst the boxes of dusty treasures, lies a link to the Okabe family, and the girl he lost his young heart to, so many years ago. With over a million copies sold worldwide, this captivating debut is a story of the sacrifices one boy makes for love and for his country.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This novel deals with a mostly forgotten event in American history following the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is written with great sensitivity for the Japanese and Chinese characters depicted, while at the same time describing the ethnic paranoia that the attack caused among the 'pure' US citizens. There is a lesson in this book that I fear we have not all learned yet
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
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The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells the story of a young Chinese-American boy, Henry Lee, and his lifelong love for his childhood friend, Keiko Okabe. The story is partly set in 1942, when America is at war and 'enemy' citizens (those with Italian, German but mainly Japanese heritage) are being interned in prison camps. Henry is a lonely child - sent to an almost all-white school by his stern parents, his only friend is Keiko, a young girl of Japanese descent who, like Henry, is earning her scholarship by working in the school kitchens. They are only 12 when the story begins and their friendship and blossoming romance is sensitively portrayed.
As the grip of war tightens, Keiko and her family are among the thousands of American citizens of Japanese descent who are rounded up and imprisoned, supposedly to prevent them 'spying' for the enemy, and what belongings they can't take with them are hurridly stashed in the basement of the Panama Hotel.
The story of Henry and Keiko's wartime friendship is interspersed with flash-forwards to 1986, when Henry has taken early retirement and, after a happy marriage, is alone again with occasional visits from his somewhat distant son Marty. When he learns that the belongings of those Japanese families have been unearthed from the basement of the recently re-opened Panama Hotel, it reawakens his feelings for his wartime friend and his curiosity about what became of her and her family.
This is a beautifully told story, heartwarming and beguiling but thankfully not over-sentimental or twee. In his Author's Note, Jamie Ford says that he wished to recreate the internment of Japanese-Americans "without judging the good or bad intentions of those involved at the time". It's hard not to judge, but this was wartime and the pervading atmosphere of suspicion and fear, however irrational, is convincingly brought to life. A highly recommended read which manages to educate as well as entertain, I'm not surprised so many people have already fallen in love with this book.
As the grip of war tightens, Keiko and her family are among the thousands of American citizens of Japanese descent who are rounded up and imprisoned, supposedly to prevent them 'spying' for the enemy, and what belongings they can't take with them are hurridly stashed in the basement of the Panama Hotel.
The story of Henry and Keiko's wartime friendship is interspersed with flash-forwards to 1986, when Henry has taken early retirement and, after a happy marriage, is alone again with occasional visits from his somewhat distant son Marty. When he learns that the belongings of those Japanese families have been unearthed from the basement of the recently re-opened Panama Hotel, it reawakens his feelings for his wartime friend and his curiosity about what became of her and her family.
This is a beautifully told story, heartwarming and beguiling but thankfully not over-sentimental or twee. In his Author's Note, Jamie Ford says that he wished to recreate the internment of Japanese-Americans "without judging the good or bad intentions of those involved at the time". It's hard not to judge, but this was wartime and the pervading atmosphere of suspicion and fear, however irrational, is convincingly brought to life. A highly recommended read which manages to educate as well as entertain, I'm not surprised so many people have already fallen in love with this book.
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is such an enjoyable read, which deserves to be a bestseller. I haven't recommended it to anyone who doesn't agree.
Enough has been said by previous reviewers regarding the plot. Suffice to say that it is beautifully written story of thwarted young love, never oversentimentalised or mawkish. The research is impeccable and highlights the after effects of war on innocents.
There are many finely drawn supporting characters who would warrant short stories themselves.
My favourite read in 2010. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Enough has been said by previous reviewers regarding the plot. Suffice to say that it is beautifully written story of thwarted young love, never oversentimentalised or mawkish. The research is impeccable and highlights the after effects of war on innocents.
There are many finely drawn supporting characters who would warrant short stories themselves.
My favourite read in 2010. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Persevere, it's a grower!
Our book club has just read The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. For once, there was hardly any disagreement and everyone enjoyed it! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Charlotte Hanson
if you like bittersweet love stories...
... this is for you! I've had this book on my to-be-read list for far too long, and finally I decided to go got it. I didn't regret it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by aruna
Charming and heartwarming tale
Henry Lee is a 13 year old Chinese/American boy, living in Seattle during World War 2. He becomes friendly with a Japanese/American girl named Keiko. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nicola
Wonderful...
The story draws you in from the very beginning, and has you stamping your feet at the injustice of a world gone mad. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jaffareadstoo
A bittersweet historical tale
This novel has a dual timeframe narrative set in Seattle, telling the story of twelve year old Chinese American boy Henry Lee in 1942-5, and much later in his life, in 1986. Read more
Published 7 months ago by L. H. Healy
more than just a love story
This is a "time-slice" novel. It starts in 1986 when Henry Lee happens to see some personal items that had belonged to Japanese families from WW2, recently discovered in the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by H. Ashford
Bitter and Sweet.
The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is set in dual time periods (1942 and 1986) in the US. It tells the story of a Chinese boy, Henry Lee and his friendship with a Japanese... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Charliecat
Well worth reading
This is a wonderfully written book which really makes you feel for the characters. It is split between 1942 and 1986 and follows Henry, a young Chinese-American boy who does not... Read more
Published 8 months ago by BookBliss
Excellent historical novel ... best book this year!
I have read a lot of novels based during the second world war, mostly about the treatment of Jew's during this time. Read more
Published 9 months ago by S. Bruch
Super detailed and fabulous chracaters
What a truly delightful read this book is. I was blown away by its charm and depth.
This is a dual time novel set in 1986 and also in 1940s America during are days of... Read more
This is a dual time novel set in 1986 and also in 1940s America during are days of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Beadyjan
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