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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

by Jamie Ford (Goodreads Author)

3.90 · rating details · 40,920 ratings · 8,341 reviews

"Sentimental, heartfelt....the exploration of Henry's changing relationship with his family and with Keiko will keep most readers turning pages...A timely debut that not only reminds readers of a shameful episode in American history, but cautions us to examine the present and take heed we don't repeat those injustices.""-- Kirkus Reviews"
"A tender...more"Sentimental, heartfelt....the exploration of Henry's changing relationship with his family and with Keiko will keep most readers turning pages...A timely debut that not only reminds readers of a shameful episode in American history, but cautions us to examine the present and take heed we don't repeat those injustices.""-- Kirkus Reviews"
"A tender and satisfying novel set in a time and a place lost forever, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet gives us a glimpse of the damage that is caused by war--not the sweeping damage of the battlefield, but the cold, cruel damage to the hearts and humanity of individual people. Especially relevant in today's world, this is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more importantly, it will make you "feel,""
"-- "Garth Stein, "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Art of Racing in the Rain"
"Jamie Ford's first novel explores the age-old conflicts between father and son, the beauty and sadness of what happened to Japanese Americans in the Seattle area during World War II, and the depths and longing of deep-heart love. An impressive, bitter, and sweet debut."
"-- "Lisa See, bestselling author of "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
"
In the opening pages of Jamie Ford's stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.
This simpleact takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry's world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While "scholarshipping" at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship-and innocent love-that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.
Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel's dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family's belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice-words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.
Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.(less)

Hardcover, Large Print, 507 pages

Published May 1st 2009 by Thorndike Press (first published January 1st 2009)

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Mar 19, 2009

Nan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, never-again, world-war-ii

I have to admit that I did not like this book. Mr. Ford is a decent writer, and while he did research 1942 fairly extensively, he did a crappy job portraying 1986. I was alive in '86. I was ten, in fact. While my memory of the time is going to be different than that of a 50 year old character, I wound up being very tired of the repeated anachronisms. In one paragraph--on page four of the book, I believe--the narrator tells the readers that the main character's son is seeing a grief counsel...more

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Feb 24, 2009

Lynn rated it

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I loved this book, but I had one minor annoyance with it. The author had 4 anachronisms: the book is set (in part) in 1986, and yet the son is in an "on-line" grief support group, and used the internet to look up a lost friend, and there is talk twice about digital conversion of records to CDs.

This book is told by a 50+ year old second generation Chinese-American. It is told in two different time periods, and flows back and forth between the 1940's to 1986 seemlessly. It...more

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Dec 07, 2008

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Release Date 1/27/2009, $24.00

I've just finished reading Jamie Ford's forthcoming novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and am still basking in the glow. The characters are fully realized, the title is a real attention grabber, and the story fleshed out with plenty of local and period detail. Ford provides an intimate look at life on the homefront during WWII from the uncommon perpective of an earnest Chinese-American ...more

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Oct 01, 2008

Emily rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: mom, kristin

Recommended to Emily by: Cheryl

Shelves: fiction

The burgeoning jazz scene in Seattle's International District in the 1940s comes to life through the eyes of Henry Lee, a Chinese-American boy caught in the turmoil of increasing anti-Japanese sentiment at school, at home, and in the neighborhood. Bullied by his all-white schoolmates and shunned as a traitor by his Chinese peers, Henry finds friendship in unlikely places and confronts the identity that his parents want for him.

Forty-odd years later, Henry's wife has recently died...more

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Feb 13, 2009

Linda rated it

· review of another edition

Great book. I love novels based on historical fact. I finished it in just a day and a half. Hard to believe it is a first novel. I am looking forward to more from this author. I looked up some of the people and places mentioned in the book, just to see if they were real - and was pleased to find that they were. Of course if I had read the acknolwedgements at the end of the book I would have known that already.

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Mar 21, 2009

Jeff rated it

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"Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" is as saccharine and overly sentimental as the title suggests. It is historical fiction for the Nicholas Sparks set -- an emotionally heavy-handed novel that is well told, but not particularly well written.

There are some diamonds in the rough, though: the historical aspects of the novel are very interesting; the relationships depicted in the book, while not always believable, are complex; and, the issues related to cultural identit...more

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May 05, 2011

Susan rated it

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I'm always a little behind the curve when it comes to reading blockbuster NYT bestsellers. I think a part of me resists because I love finding "little" books that deserve kudos and talking about them. But I had heard so many good things about THE HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET that I bought it, though I sat on it a while before I cracked it open to read. Once I did, I was hooked instantly by the wonderful character of Henry Lee, a 12-year-old boy in Seattle's Chinatown durin...more

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Oct 05, 2010

Janelle rated it

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Shelves: 2010, historical-fiction, favorites

If this isn't an eye opening book, I don't know what is.

This is a story of a 1st generation Chinese American boy named Henry in 1942 Seattle. During World War II his father wants to ensure no one confuses him for the ostracized Japanese and sends his son to an all white school with an "I Am Chinese" button on his clothing. There he meets 2nd generation Japanese American girl named Keiko. Though Henry's father has a passionate hatred for the Japanese, Henry develops a sweet...more

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May 12, 2010

Karla rated it

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Shelves: american, china, japan, friendship, historical-romantic-fiction, historical, mourning, romance, tear-jerkers, 2010, favorites

A rich, tender, personal story so touching and full of history I should know, but didn't. Pulled at my heartstrings and made me longingly linger over and over the last few chapters.
Set durring the height of Nihonmachi district (JapanTown) area of Seattle, Washingtom. You jump from 1986 to 1942 thoughout the story. To tell the tale of Henery Lee an intelligent, brave, 12yr old Chinese American quickly growing into a man thru struggling WWII times. He has a strained relationship with his fat...more

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Feb 15, 2009

Gail rated it

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Although this is probably one of those implausible love stories that D. Steele might have written, the story is so much bigger and deeper because the author uses a first love to describe the differences and similarities of three generations of Chinese fathers and sons and what it means to be "American".

The setting moves back and forth between Seattle's International District during WWII and contemporary Seattle. So, that gives it a special geographical interest to me. Th...more

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May 11, 2011

Noce rated it

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Shelves: narrativa-americana

Ne abbiamo lette a migliaia di storie d'amore impossibili, difficili, romantiche ecc.
Perciò, per quanto riguarda la trama è inutile dilungarsi.

Elencherò solo le impressioni nate casualmente mentre leggevo.
La frase a pag.0, contenente una citazione di Duke Ellington mi ha indispettito. Mi secca da morire vedere la lingua italiana maltrattata dall'oralità, dal gergo giovanile, e dagli inglesismi, francesismi eccetera.. Ma dai libri, di solito mi aspetto una cosa diversa. Perci...moreNe abbiamo lette a migliaia di storie d'amore impossibili, difficili, romantiche ecc.
Perciò, per quanto riguarda la trama è inutile dilungarsi.

Elencherò solo le impressioni nate casualmente mentre leggevo.
La frase a pag.0, contenente una citazione di Duke Ellington mi ha indispettito. Mi secca da morire vedere la lingua italiana maltrattata dall'oralità, dal gergo giovanile, e dagli inglesismi, francesismi eccetera.. Ma dai libri, di solito mi aspetto una cosa diversa. Perciò veder tradotta la frase "My poor heart is sentimental/Not made of wood/I've got it bad/And that ain't good" con "Ho il cuore tenero, non è mica di legno, me l'hanno spezzato DI BRUTTO, e questo non è bello" mi ha già predisposto maluccio.

Fino a pag. 186 non ci sono grandi colpi di scena, in realtà neanche dopo, è una storia facile a immaginarsi, e come tutte le storie d'amore, non è tanto la storia che conta ma il modo in cui viene raccontata. Ma da metà libro, questo sapor di zenzero si incomincia a sentire finalmente... e non è una cosa spiacevole, anzi.

Leggendo questo libro ho fatto un'altra interessantissima scoperta, è un po' come quella dell'acqua calda, ma ve la racconto ugualmente. Ho scoperto che i libri scatenano la fantasia e l'immaginazione ancora prima di rendercene conto. La quarta parola del romanzo, introduce il protagonista. Si chiama Henry. Bene, voi direte, interessante, embé?
Beh, siccome si chiama Henry e non Chun, e non Lin, e non Yan, e non Huxian, voi non avete idea dello sforzo che ho dovuto fare, per buona metà del libro, per togliermi dalla mente l'immagine di un anziano di razza caucasica con quella di un asiatico con gli occhi a mandorla. No, questo giusto per sottolineare quanto le "parole" si coniughino perfettamente col verbo "insinuare" specialmente se nella mente.

Poi, un'altra cosa; nell'edizione della Garzanti, sulla parte di copertina che "rimbocca" il lato posteriore del libro, viene descritto il "caso editoriale", e tra le date che segnano il successo e l'ascesa del romanzo ve n'è una che recita: «Estate 2009: Il gusto proibito dello zenzero è uno dei romanzi più letti sulle spiagge di tutta l'America.» Ora, mi fa veramente sorridere, che una storia che tratta di razzismo strisciante, di pregiudizi, di filo spinato ecc, possa essere letta mentre ci si spalma l'olio al cocco sul corpo, e quando l'unica preoccupazione è quella di impiegare il tempo tra l'ultimo morso di uno snack e il momento in cui ci si può tuffare in acqua senza correre il rischio di un'indigestione.

Insomma sembra paradossale, anche un po' irrispettoso nei confronti della storia, anche se a ben pensarci, forse può essere la lettura stessa di un buon libro, che eleva una banale giornata al mare allo status di "giornata degna di nota".

Ok, lo so, mi rendo conto che anziché recensire il libro, vi ho fatto una puntuale elencazione delle mie sciocche sensazioni da lettrice.. forse dovrei dirvi qualcosa per invogliarvi a leggerlo.
Beh, sicuramente posso dirvi che siamo così abituati a collegare i termini "deportazione", "ghetto" ecc. allo sterminio nazista, che ci dimentichiamo o ignoriamo del tutto che certe bassezze e brutture si sono ripetute ciclicamente un po' ovunque, e a volte con modalità simili, e hanno colpito occhi, visi e popoli uguali a noi nel modo di subirle. E questo romanzo ce ne illustra uno spicchio. E poi posso dirvi ancora che, guardare e ripercorrere come fa il protagonista in questo libro, un amore vissuto e sentito, come se fosse la vita di qualcun altro, con dolcezza, obiettività e malinconia, è come infilarsi una felpa in una sera di Settembre, quando il caldo del giorno fa posto ai primi freddi dell'autunno. Una sensazione piacevole e confortante, che al tempo stesso ti ricorda che l'estate è finita. E che si deve guardare avanti.(less)

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Sep 14, 2010

Tasha enderby rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

My book club read this book and when I passed the cover in an airport I knew I just had to read it. When my girlfriend found it on sale it put it on my list.

Okay this is a do not pass up book, the reading is light goes quickly but the story is deep. I can't help but think of my very first real crush I had in the seventh grade, it my first attempt at understanding the very adult feeling I was having towards Tony. The funny thing is I can't tell you my husbands birthday but I can still...more

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Apr 23, 2011

Jennifer Lane rated it

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Shelves: book-club

I tend to enjoy novels that flash back and forth from past to present, and this novel was no different (though "present" is 1986). The story features Henry, a Chinese man in his fifties who lives in Seattle. The bulk of the events take place in the early 1940's during the heart of WWII, when Henry was only twelve. His Chinese parents enact several harsh rules for their son: sending him to an American school where he's beaten and teased for being Chinese, insisting he speak to them only...more

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Jan 31, 2009

Claudine rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Hotel made me cry, made me laugh and brought me joy. It's a beautifully written and tender story about first love, the human experience surrounding racial divides, generational conflicts, and the internment of Japanese Americans. You won't be disappointed with Hotel.

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Feb 08, 2009

Amy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

I fell in love with the main character of this book from the first chapter. A wonderful story of love told through the lens of racism, prejudice, and war. Good storytelling combined with memorable and endearing characters. Highly recommended.

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Jan 13, 2011

Deana rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Deana by: Bev

Shelves: 2011, book-club, doublechecked, wwii

What a beautifully written book! But also so sad and eye opening. I had, of course, heard of the Japanese interment camps in the western US during WWII, but I had no idea what was involved, really. It's so difficult for me to imagine that such things went on right here in my own country. I do think the book has the wrong title, although I have no idea what title I would give it. I just don't think the title conveys much about the book, or the right impression of what is inside.

I cried...moreWhat a beautifully written book! But also so sad and eye opening. I had, of course, heard of the Japanese interment camps in the western US during WWII, but I had no idea what was involved, really. It's so difficult for me to imagine that such things went on right here in my own country. I do think the book has the wrong title, although I have no idea what title I would give it. I just don't think the title conveys much about the book, or the right impression of what is inside.

I cried multiple times during the course of the book, but really enjoyed reading it. I absolutely loved the characters of Sheldon and Mrs. Beatty - the author's favorites as well :) And I loved reading the interview with the author at the end about his family and his research, and also the short story he wrote (for Orson Scott Card, no less!) that eventually became this book.

For those who don't know the basic idea - Henry (born in America to Chinese parents) and Keiko (born in America to Japanese parents) become best friends as the only two Asian students in an otherwise all-white school. They bond over their similarities and their love for jazz. Henry's staunchly traditional Chinese parents (his father in particular) do not approve of his friendship with Keiko because he considers the Japanese to be "the enemy", and actually end up refuses to speak to his son for years because he persists in the disgraceful friendship even after Keiko and her family are placed in an interment camp. The story is told in both the 1940s and the 1980s, alternating, which for me really enhances the tale. Oh, and you get a lot of fun stuff to read about the jazz scene in Seattle in the 1940s, which is maybe the best part!

The only real qualm I have is near the end when his son [does something that I won't say because it's a SPOILER] and it says "... but to Marty, a few hours on his computer, a few phone calls ..." A few hours on his .... COMPUTER?! In 1986?! I -might- have gone for that in 1996... but 1986? No.

But I suppose it's a small thing. Read the book anyway.(less)

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Mar 11, 2009

Jeanette rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, wwii

I really wanted to rate this book a 5 and if I gave half ratings I suppose I'd give it 4.5. This book just drew me into the setting of Seattle during the 1940s and the internment of American citizens who were of Japanese decent during WWII. This book, in fact, made me cry which is an effect that few books have on me. I tend to be a fairly stoic person and that carries over into my reading but by the time I was finishing this book I was all weepy and glad no one was around to see me working my...moreI really wanted to rate this book a 5 and if I gave half ratings I suppose I'd give it 4.5. This book just drew me into the setting of Seattle during the 1940s and the internment of American citizens who were of Japanese decent during WWII. This book, in fact, made me cry which is an effect that few books have on me. I tend to be a fairly stoic person and that carries over into my reading but by the time I was finishing this book I was all weepy and glad no one was around to see me working my way through a box of tissues.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells the story of Henry Lee through transitions in time between the 1940s and 1986 in Seattle. Henry is the son of a Chinese nationalist obsessed with the war between China and Japan. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor Henry's father decides that his son needs to become more American and will no longer allow Henry to speak any language but English at home even though it breaks down the communication between Henry and his Cantonese speaking parents. Henry is also sent to the exclusive Rainer Elementary where he is the only Asian student and is ruthlessly bullied by the other students. Henry's one friend is Sheldon, a young black jazz musician who plays a saxophone on the street corner.
Amongst the confusion of war and prejudice, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a new Japanese American Student at Rainer. Always fearful of his father's reaction Henry forges a strong bond of friendship with Keiko. As more Japanese people are arrested and rounded up in raids, Henry fears for what will happen to Keiko and her family. When the order for the removal of all Japanese people in Seattle comes down Henry is torn trying to do what is right while struggling to understand what the right thing is. Should he be loyal to his Chinese nationalist family or should he follow his feelings and help Keiko?
The other side of the story takes place in 1986 as Henry, now a widower, is trying to bridge the gap in his relationship with his son and between his past and present life.
This is Jamie Ford's debut novel and while I really enjoyed it, there were some inconsistencies and a bit of redundancy. The use of the Internet in 1986 had me a bit puzzled. Yes, the Internet existed at the time but was not really being used in the ways described in the book.
Perhaps a little heavy on the sentimental side at times, I really enjoyed this thoughtful look at the tragic events surrounding the treatment of Japanese Americans during WWII and the glimpse into the Japanese internment camps.(less)

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Nov 07, 2008

MK Brunskill-Cowen rated it

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Amazing - simply amazing! I couldn't put this down. I loved Henry, a Chinese-American boy during WWII, trying to figure if he's Chinese or American, really being neither, and falling for a Japanese American girl. Beautifully written.

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Jan 05, 2011

Susan rated it

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Shelves: kent-island-book-club, audiobooks, historical, institute-of-adult-learning, immigrants-culture-clash

I read this with my book club. I felt it was too elementary a treatment for my knowledge of the subject.

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Jan 19, 2009

Mahbod rated it

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Great book.... a lovely story told in a wonderful voice...

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Apr 07, 2011

Linda rated it

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Shelves: woodland-reads, celebrating-books-club, ridge-street-book-club, world-war-ii

It is hard to believe that this was a debut novel written by Jamie Ford. He did an outstanding job writing this story, and the book will make you feel, think, cry and smile. I found this gentle tale of love and friendship and loyalty between unlikely classmates to be delightful.

The date was 1942 and Henry was the only Chinese student in an all white school. One day a new person enters the story. It is Keiko, a Japanese girl who will work with him in the school cafeteria since the a...moreIt is hard to believe that this was a debut novel written by Jamie Ford. He did an outstanding job writing this story, and the book will make you feel, think, cry and smile. I found this gentle tale of love and friendship and loyalty between unlikely classmates to be delightful.

The date was 1942 and Henry was the only Chinese student in an all white school. One day a new person enters the story. It is Keiko, a Japanese girl who will work with him in the school cafeteria since the are both scholarship students. The story of Henry and Keiko and the relationship between a Chinese boy and his female Japanese classmate are set in when there was a climate of fear and anger during the time of bombing in World War II. It demonstrates the power of friendship, loyalty and love in many different ways.

Henry’s complicated relationship with his father is pivotal in understanding the tensions within families during that time as well as those that exist in many families today. Henry’s wonderful friendship with the sax playing Sheldon help bring the Seattle setting to life and adds an entire glimpse of the history of jazz in Seattle that I was unaware of before reading this novel.
As the Panama Hotel (where the history is both ‘...Bitter and Sweet...’) enters the scene and it is filled with untold history and mementos that are a focal point for the story.

Ford writes in a way that draws the the reader in and I became involved with the characters and their lives and really began to care about what was happening to them. This story shows that relationships can surmount even the harshest of prejudices and serves as a model for us all. It reminds us of the struggle between generations particularly when they are of different cultures.

There is much truth and fact underlying this book and it is at times difficult to remember it is a work of historical fiction rather than a nonfiction story. I recommend this wonderful book for all to read, young adults and adults alike and give it an unconditional 5 stars. I am looking forward to his next book with great anticipation.(less)

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Feb 02, 2011

Krisanne Stewart rated it

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First of all, I am so proud of myself for finishing a book club book before book club meets! Secondly, I loved this book! I loved the slow, unfolding of Henry's life, while at the same time being dumbstruck by what happened here in America during the Japanese internment camps. We grew up hearing about the Nazi atrocities, but little is taught about the camps we had here. In fact, when a student was researching concentration camps prior to the reading of Anne Frank, and found Crystal City, Texas ...more

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Apr 04, 2011

Destinee Sutton rated it

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Shelves: grown-up-books, seattle, historical-fiction, war, book-group-worthy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Things I liked about this book:

It is really fun to read a good book that takes place in the city where you live. It makes everything seem more real and you can always make conversation about it when you pass by a place mentioned in the book. For example, I learned a lot about Seattle's jazz history reading this book and now when I go to the I.D. to do Karaoke I will pretend I am Ray Charles. Also fun: tragic love stories with redemptive endings. Indeed. Another thing I enjoy: well-r...more

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Jun 28, 2011

Kathy rated it

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Shelves: highly-recommend, historical-fiction, favorite-authors, favorites

Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is historical fiction at its finest. The format of alternating time periods of the 1940's and 1986 serves to bring this story full circle, which is indeed informatively satisfying. Ford takes on a multiplicity of subjects that stem from the setting of Seattle's area of Chinatown and Japantown in the 40's and the characters of Henry, a Chinese boy, and Keiko, a Japanese girl, and he connects them all brilliantly. Racial prejudices, Japanese ...more

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May 12, 2010

Amalia rated it

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After reading how many people absolutely adore this book, I almost feel a little guilty giving it a "meh" review. But....a "meh" review it deserves, and that's what it shall get from me.

First, the good: My sense is that this story has raised awareness of the internment camps that many Japanese-Americans were placed in during WWII. As someone who believes that without knowledge of history we're doomed to repeat it, I think that's timely and important knowledge f...more

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Sep 17, 2009

JoAnn/QuAppelle rated it

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I had heard lots about this book, but had not put it on my TBR list. So when I saw the audio at the library, I figured...what the heck, may as well try it! I might not have finished it if I had an alternative book in the car to read. Sometimes the reader annoyed me when he said the main character's (Henry's) words with a Chinese accent (inconsistently at that!) .... since Henry had been born in the US.

I usually do not like when an author switches back and forth from one time period t...moreI had heard lots about this book, but had not put it on my TBR list. So when I saw the audio at the library, I figured...what the heck, may as well try it! I might not have finished it if I had an alternative book in the car to read. Sometimes the reader annoyed me when he said the main character's (Henry's) words with a Chinese accent (inconsistently at that!) .... since Henry had been born in the US.

I usually do not like when an author switches back and forth from one time period to another, but in this book it "fit".

I think the author should have made Henry and Keiko a bit older...I found it impossible to accept that these "children" had such a relationship. Absolutely implausible. I also found the writing to be clumsy, full of cliches, AND I felt nothing for any of the characters. Usually I feel some connection, but not here.

I found a LOT of inaccuracies in this book and many logical incongrities, but since I was driving while listening, I could not make notes on them...but I groaned a LOT! This author really needed to do better research or have an editor who knows something about history. One of the most egregious errors was when Henry's son was participating in an online grief group...in 1986!!!!! Also in 1986, a rear-projection TV in a nursing home, Someone died in 1986 but was buried in the same cemetery as a celebrity who died in 1993. He said that a Japanese sub DESTROYED an oil refinery in CA, when, in reality, it had barely damaged the refinery. Yeah, right, sure. Many online reviewers, who know a lot more about World War II than I do, really zoned in on all the the mistakes about the war. For example, Japan occupied Canton until 1945 (not 1942 as the author stated), To me, all of these errors of fact are the signs of a lazy writer. I know that with fiction, readers are expected to suspend belief, but not about FACTS!

The author said, at the end, that he did not intend to make this book about the internment camps...but perhaps he should have put that statement at the beginning because I think maybe people were expecting that to be the focus of this book...

Had this been a "paper" book, or if I had had another audiobook available, I probably would have abandoned it after 50 pages -- if I had even gotten that far!(less)

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Jul 07, 2010

Bobby rated it

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Reading this novel was in itself a memorable experience. There are books that I must hug when I finish reading. I hugged Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet often when reading, emotion taking over throughout, needing pauses to appreciate and feel rather than continuing to read. In that way, the novel is not a page turner. The warmth and honesty is just too much. I think that after a lifetime of reading, I have found a new treasure.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a m...more

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Apr 02, 2009

Eileen Souza rated it

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Shelves: north-america

Wow.

When I picked this book up I was immediately intrigued by the name. Then I read the cover I was a little eh about it because it was about a little boy and issues with his dad. However, Lisa See, who is amazing, had written that it was "an impressive debut". If Lisa See liked it, sign me up.

I was looking forward to reading it, especially since the last couple of books have disappointed me a bit. It absolutely exceeded my expectations. The story of Henry Lee ...more

like 3 likes

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Jan 23, 2009

Colleen rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I've read some reviews that thought this book was over the top on the sentimental scale, but I truly enjoyed it. This is a moving tale of innocence and love during one of the darker chapters of our nation's history. Watching Henry struggle to reconcile his own feelings with his father's bigotry against the backdrop of the interment process was captivating; I literally couldn't put this book down.

I found it heartbreaking that it was Keiko's family, better assimilated and determined ...more

like 4 likes

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Jul 01, 2011

Natalie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I have read very little about the Japanese camps during the war and this little glimpse was pretty shocking to me. It is sad to have that in American History and even more sad that it isn't something that was taught in school about the war. How do we learn from mistakes if the mistakes are glazed over in history?

I enjoyed the characters and the storyline was just ok. It read more like a Young Adult book than Adult Fiction. I think I would have liked it better had the author just...more

like 2 likes

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topics	posts	views	last activity
AP Indy Reads Ploehs: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Review	1	3	Jan 18, 2012 08:16pm
Bitter and Sweet	5	37	Jan 14, 2012 09:08pm
AP Indy Reads Ploehs: Sneaky Business	2	4	Jan 11, 2012 06:45pm
AP Lit. Quarter 2...: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet	1	1	Jan 09, 2012 07:33pm
AP Lit. Quarter 2...: Hotel on the Corner of Bittuh and Sweeeet!	6	6	Jan 09, 2012 06:40pm
AP Lit. Quarter 2...: Hotel On The Corner of Bitter & Sweet	3	5	Jan 09, 2012 06:32pm

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About Jamie Ford

My name is James. Yes, I'm a dude.

I’m also the New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet—which was, in no particular order, an IndieBound NEXT List Selection, a Borders Original Voices Selection, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection, Pennie’s Pick at Costco, a Target Bookmarked Club Pick, and a National Bestseller. It was also named the #1 Book Club P...more

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“The hardest choices in life aren't between what's right and what's wrong but between what's right and what's best.” — 62 people liked it

“I had my chance.' He said it, retiring from a lifetime of wanting. 'I had my chance, and sometimes in life, there are no second chances. You look at what you have, not what you miss, and you move forward.” — 25 people liked it

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