Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is my fourth Orbis Terrarum Reading Challenge read. It's for North America, since the author Jamie Ford was born there.

The book is set in Seattle, where Chinese-American Henry lives. The book goes back and forth between the 1940s (World War II) and 1986, describing Henry's life as a young boy and then as an old man. In the 1940s 12-year old Henry attends a prestigious American school on a scholarship but despite the opportunity feels like an outsider. Then one day, Keiko, a pretty Japanese-American girl, starts attending the school and the two become good friends. Henry is torn between his love for Keiko and his loyality to his family, who is very anti-Japanese and consider them the enemy. In 1986 Henry has just lost his wife when he discovers that the old Hotel Panama from his childhood neighbourhood is being restored and the belongings of Japanese people interned during WWII have been found in the basement. This brings back the memories and Henry feels the need to discover the past and what it holds.

Before starting to read this book I really fell in love with the name. I mean, bitter and sweet, that's what life is about, isn't it! I found it to be a very enjoyable read. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a story about families, love and friendship. I found it moving and have admit I felt warm and fuzzy after completing it.

The story in itself is quite predictable but I do love historical fiction, so that compensated for the lack of suprises. Ford taught me a lot about the internment of Japanese Americans during the WWII and I'm sure it's something everyone should know more about.
 

The dilemmas Henry faces seem very real - should he rebel against his family and the values they stand for and give up his best friend? I'm sure anyone brought up on Asian values can identify with his conflicting feelings on some level. If you liked Shanghai Girls by Lisa See then I'm sure you'll enjoy Ford's book, so I urge you to pick it up!