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A review by jgraydee
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
3.0
This story chronicles the adult life of Chinese American Henry Lee, and also flashes back to his Seattle boyhood, just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Panama Hotel is the link between Henry's present and past life, just as it served as common meeting place between himself and then 11-year old school mate, Japanese American, Keiko Okabe.
The main focus of the story is the growing friendship between Henry and Keiko, which matures into first love after Keiko's family is moved into an Japanese internment camp. Keiko and Henry are devoted to each other, and vow to write letters and wait for each other until Keiko's family is released.
It is clear from the beginning of the novel that the two eventually lose contact (indeed, the first chapter details Henry's care for his deceased wife, Ethel), but the heart of this book is Henry's recollections of his friendship and coming of age during the 1940's.
Ford tells a good story -- he succeeds in creating characters of Henry and Keiko who you would like to know yourself. They are innocent, loyal and full of life. Likewise, the adults who help them along their journey are also very likeable and Ford gives the reader a glimpse into their personal histories. On the other hand, Ford does very little to acquaint the reader with Henry's father, who is adamantly anti-Japanese. He is a solemn and quiet man who Henry does understand. As his friendship with Keiko grows stronger, Henry's relationship with his father becomes more strained.
Ford could have made the story more historically accurate, but I don't think his intention was to write a story of historical fiction. It is a coming of age story, set in a historical context. It is an easy read and an enjoyable story.
The main focus of the story is the growing friendship between Henry and Keiko, which matures into first love after Keiko's family is moved into an Japanese internment camp. Keiko and Henry are devoted to each other, and vow to write letters and wait for each other until Keiko's family is released.
It is clear from the beginning of the novel that the two eventually lose contact (indeed, the first chapter details Henry's care for his deceased wife, Ethel), but the heart of this book is Henry's recollections of his friendship and coming of age during the 1940's.
Ford tells a good story -- he succeeds in creating characters of Henry and Keiko who you would like to know yourself. They are innocent, loyal and full of life. Likewise, the adults who help them along their journey are also very likeable and Ford gives the reader a glimpse into their personal histories. On the other hand, Ford does very little to acquaint the reader with Henry's father, who is adamantly anti-Japanese. He is a solemn and quiet man who Henry does understand. As his friendship with Keiko grows stronger, Henry's relationship with his father becomes more strained.
Ford could have made the story more historically accurate, but I don't think his intention was to write a story of historical fiction. It is a coming of age story, set in a historical context. It is an easy read and an enjoyable story.