Sunday 8 May 2011

Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet

As I mentioned earlier, I am finally finished with my degree. Because of my passion for books I have studied literature for three years, but I haven’t had the time to read books that I want to read. Reading one book a week for my course was time consuming enough next to writing essays and dissertation, but this week I decided to read a book that I wanted to read. I have to admit that it felt amazing; I have really missed reading for pleasure. And I loved the book and thought it was about time for a book review again.

Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet is a beautiful story written my Jamie Ford. It is his debut novel and he tells the reader a story that is emotionally connected with a physical place and a state of mind that is both bitter and sweet.

Source
The story starts when the reader is introduced to Henry Lee in 1986. He walks past the Panama Hotel in Seattle, which has been boarded up since World War II. He discovers that the new owner has found several boxes in the basement of the hotel, boxes that contain personal items that belonged to Japanese families who were evacuated to internment camps during the war. These boxes take Henry back to his childhood, leading the reader into the main storyline that is set in 1942. Henry is 12 years old then, a Chinese boy who is sent to go to an all-white school. Pearl Harbour is here a fresh memory for the American people and several of them thinks that Henry is Japanese and does not treat him well. Because of this, his father makes him wear a button that says “I am Chinese”. His life is not easy, and a less than perfect relationship with his father does not make it easier to be Henry.
Henry works in the school cafeteria and one day a Japanese girl named Keiko starts working with him. He knows that he should not make friends with her, but as he is the only Chinese student and she is the only Japanese at their school, they identify with each other and became true friends.
This is the start of a forbidden friendship that is the main framework of the story. It continues to reveal how it was like to be Chinese and Japanese during the war and the consequences that emerged.

I absolutely loved this book; I really did not want it to end. It is beautifully written and you cannot help but to fall in love with the characters and their dreams and hopes. The story gives the reader a vivid picture of what it was like to live in America at this time. The only thing I have to complain about is that Ford gives Henry thoughts and feelings beyond the maturity level of a 12 year old. But he writes it so well that it seems believable, which in my opinion is saying a great deal about the fantastic writing style of this novel. I absolutely recommend it, it is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time.

12 comments:

  1. oo this sounds good, i'll look out for it :)x

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  2. Thanks for the recommendation! I look for books with great characters, so might check it out!

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  3. congraturation for your degree! this book seems to be very interesting. I will search for it in italy.
    winterbag.blogspot

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  4. congrats and this book sounds really good!

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  5. Yay! Congrats on finally finishing your degree, my dear. :) I'm glad you finally have some free time to read fun books. This one looks magical and I definitely need to add it to my list! xoxo

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  6. wow, this sounds to be inspiring, esp that it is common for Asian in those old days to suffer racial treatment...Indeed Washington is one of the Asian states in America...It is intriguing if the Hotel truly exist? If we will be pushing through a trip in Seattle, I would love to visit it!...my niece takes literature and same advice, if you love writing & want to learn about writing, you have to read a lot of books....!!She just finished her degree also=) for now, i am mellowing my moods to funny and fashion books, birthgiving was a lot of physical pain and mental stress..thanks for sharing!please share us more when you can....

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  7. I think you totally sold me on this book! i'm going to add it to my list.

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  8. Definitely adding this to my list! I need a new summer read.

    x
    http://artfashiontwentysomething.blogspot.com

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  9. Hello! Just discovered your blog. I know exactly how you feel - I also studied literature and it was so exciting to finally be able to read whatever I wanted again!

    Will be following from now on - would be great if you stopped by mine sometime (and followed me too!).

    Andrea x
    andreareh.blogspot.com

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  10. Great review - Sorry its taken an age to return your visit - I'm in South Africa and before that I was in UK - Travelling back home to Dubai this evening so will be trying to catch up. Shah. X

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  11. I kept seeing this book in the bookstore, but didn't know if I should read it-great review-I will definitely have to pick it up!

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  12. Congrats on finishing your degree! The book sounds like a great read, I may have to look into it =)

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Thank you for taking your time ♥ Your comments put a big smile on my face and I read and respond to every single one of them ♥

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