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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Jamie Ford

Start date: March 15, 2011

Finish date: April 15, 2011

Discussion: Reading List

Discussion leader: Lynn

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Reading List

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What Members Thought

Jun 05, 2010 Kathy rated it it was amazing

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

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 int ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Mar 07, 2011 Wilhelmina Jenkins rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, novel

Maybe 3 1/2 stars would be closer, but I enjoyed this book. The story it tells of the hostility between the Chinese and Japanese communities in Seattle at the beginning of WWII was a fresh one for me. The characters were appealing and the details in the book enhanced the story. While the writing was more on the level of a YA book and there were a few anachronisms, the story held my attention. A quick read, but I liked it.

2 likes · Like · see review