From the Bookshelf of Crazy Challenge Connection…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
This book is very enjoyable for what it is. It isn't an exceptionally well written novel, or one that delves deeply into the issues or history that are the backdrop to the story, but the plot was extremely satisfying.
There are two timelines to the novel: the "present" (set in 1986) and the past, set between 1942 and 1945. The novel follows Henry, a first-generation Chinese boy in Seattle, who meets Keiko, a second-generation Japanese girl, at an otherwise all-white school. The two become friend ...more
There are two timelines to the novel: the "present" (set in 1986) and the past, set between 1942 and 1945. The novel follows Henry, a first-generation Chinese boy in Seattle, who meets Keiko, a second-generation Japanese girl, at an otherwise all-white school. The two become friend ...more
This is a charming and fascinating book about two young people coming of age during wartime. Coming from different cultural backgrounds, their young friendship is cut short by the U.S. internment camps - a dark chapter for our country. I liked the way the thread of jazz music was used throughout the story and how the quest for a rare recording symbolized the idea of never giving up hope.
I loved the book. Unlike alot of books, it was easy to get into and to follow.
Although the author says he is not making a judgment about the internment, in a way, all books are and this book is no different, even though primarily it is a book about long lost love, cultural barriers, family, and friendship. The author's presentment of the facts is one of many perspectives in the same way as there were thousands of internees.
What I found wanting to know more about oddly enough was Henry's mother ...more
Although the author says he is not making a judgment about the internment, in a way, all books are and this book is no different, even though primarily it is a book about long lost love, cultural barriers, family, and friendship. The author's presentment of the facts is one of many perspectives in the same way as there were thousands of internees.
What I found wanting to know more about oddly enough was Henry's mother ...more
I'm ashamed to admit that I've started avoiding World War Two sagas. The setting may change, but the misery doesn't. I don't want to read just about the cruelty of men and the wretchedness that war inflicts.
Those that I have enjoyed are written with a "sideways glance", such as Child 44, All the Light We Cannot See, The Book Thief City of Thieves, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The obvious misery is part of the story, but the reader's eyes a ...more
Those that I have enjoyed are written with a "sideways glance", such as Child 44, All the Light We Cannot See, The Book Thief City of Thieves, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The obvious misery is part of the story, but the reader's eyes a ...more
Every now and then, I happen upon a book that turns out to be totally different than I expected.
"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" looked huge when it was standing on my bookyhelf waiting to be read. I thought it would be a story with a broad scope, multiple characters and slow storytelling. I got a chick lit book instead. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.
The flowery page design (beautiful!) and large font of my edition should have been a hint, but this was one of the quickest r ...more
I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction, but WWII was not a time period I had really spent much time with in the past. This was a great first book to try out for that era. The details were fantastic (except for one mistake near the beginning of the book about CDs, but I let that one go - even though it bugged me for a few pages). I live just a few hours from the Japanese internment camp spoken about in the novel so I found that even more interesting. The writing is beautiful and th
...more
Lovely story. Loved the characters. Good narrator.
Henry & Kieko
Henry & Kieko
Sep 19, 2011
Diana S
marked it as to-read
Dec 16, 2011
Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo
marked it as to-read
Feb 27, 2012
Sandy
marked it as to-read
Jun 14, 2012
Hettie
marked it as to-read
Oct 30, 2012
Connie N.
marked it as to-read
Aug 08, 2013
Amy :)
marked it as to-read
Sep 22, 2013
Mary Bronson
marked it as to-read
Oct 04, 2014
Laura
marked it as to-read
Jul 19, 2015
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
