***Review for Jamie Ford’s “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”***

(initially posted on Facebook on February 19, 2014)

I just finished reading this novel on Japanese internment this afternoon. Coincidentally, today is the 72nd anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which effectively restricted the movements of Japanese Americans during World War II and was accompanied by forced relocation. I had picked up this book, initially thinking it would be a half-baked love story with unrelatable characters and a tepid plot –

Boy was I wrong. And boy am I glad I read it. My hat’s off to you Mr. Ford.

Sweet, endearing, heartwarming, and at times, purposely infuriating, “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” is a tragic romance set in 1940s Seattle, during the heart of World War II. Young Henry Ford is a preteen Chinese American boy. Keiko Okabe is a Japanese American girl.

And Keiko is about to be carted off to an internment camp.

I was initially somewhat skeptical of how a love story between a 12-13 year old boy and his childhood sweetheart would work without coming across as shallow puppy love, but Jamie Ford turns the genre on its head and sells it DAMN WELL. Henry is eminently likable, and the steps he takes to win Keiko over are heartrending and touching. Ford really captures the essence of racial tensions of the time, as well as evoking the classic Romeo & Juliet tension of “my parents hate my girlfriend” mentality that any generation can relate to. It really speaks well of the author that he can evoke such strong emotions even if you ALREADY know the ending, as I had read a review prior to purchase. In the final act, you can really feel the heartache, longing, and desperation of the long-awaited reunion at the end that literally left me breathless, hoping for the desperate fulfillment of those years of waiting. “Oai deki te ureshii desu”

For those of you who know Japanese, those words will never mean the same thing again after you’ve read this book.

Coral’s Conclusion: Two thumbs up! ^_^

http://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Corner-Bi...

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