Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford-Paperback
People are viewing this right now
Hours
In Jamie Ford's poignant debut novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the story opens with Henry Lee observing a crowd outside the Panama Hotel in Seattle, once part of the city's Japantown. The hotel has been closed for years, but a new owner has discovered a hidden collection of belongings left behind by Japanese families when they were forcibly relocated to internment camps during World War II. As the owner reveals a Japanese parasol, Henry is transported back to the 1940s, to a time when his own life was filled with confusion and excitement, shaped by his father’s obsession with the war and his desire to have Henry grow up as an American.
While attending the prestigious Rainier Elementary, where he faces racial prejudice, Henry befriends Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American student. Amid wartime hardships, including blackouts and curfews, Henry and Keiko form a deep friendship that grows into a quiet love, transcending the biases of their heritage. After Keiko’s family is sent to an internment camp, the two are left with only their hopes that the war will end and their promise to each other will be honored.
Decades later, Henry, now a widower, believes the parasol found at the hotel once belonged to Keiko. He begins searching through the hotel's forgotten belongings in search of traces of the Okabe family and a lost item of deep personal significance. Still grappling with his past, Henry struggles to understand his father’s nationalism, find common ground with his son, and come to terms with the choices he made long ago.
Set against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous periods in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells a moving story of love, loss, and resilience. Henry and Keiko’s journey highlights the power of forgiveness and the enduring strength of the human spirit, offering a powerful reminder of a shameful chapter in American history and a call to ensure that such injustices are not repeated. The novel is a tender exploration of the emotional wounds caused by war, not just on the battlefield, but within the hearts of individuals. It is a beautifully written story that encourages reflection and evokes deep emotions.
