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alobearThe Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford tells the story of Henry, a Chinese-American man who turned thirteen in Seattle in 1942. The 1942 storyline charts the deterioration of his relationship with his very traditional father, over his growing friendship with a Japanese-American girl named Keiko. When Keiko's family is sent to an internment camp, Henry has to decide how far he is prepared to go to keep in touch.
In 1986, shortly after the death of his wife, Henry makes a discovery in the basement of an old, abandoned hotel, which leads him to reminisce about the war years and reveal certain things about his past to his grown-up son.
It's a well constructed book, with both timelines being interesting enough that you don't want to rush through one to get back to the other. And the way the story gradually comes together across both periods is effective. I think I did prefer the 1986 timeline, but they inform each other so much it's actually difficult to separate them, and you need the significance of the events of each for the emotional resonance of the story as whole to work.
The book taught me a lot about a period of US history I wasn't really aware of, and it did so through appealing characters and an emotive exploration of family obligation and filial relationships.
In 1986, shortly after the death of his wife, Henry makes a discovery in the basement of an old, abandoned hotel, which leads him to reminisce about the war years and reveal certain things about his past to his grown-up son.
It's a well constructed book, with both timelines being interesting enough that you don't want to rush through one to get back to the other. And the way the story gradually comes together across both periods is effective. I think I did prefer the 1986 timeline, but they inform each other so much it's actually difficult to separate them, and you need the significance of the events of each for the emotional resonance of the story as whole to work.
The book taught me a lot about a period of US history I wasn't really aware of, and it did so through appealing characters and an emotive exploration of family obligation and filial relationships.
