Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

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Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Summary: Henry, the twelve-year-old child of Chinese immigrant parents, is growing up in Seattle during World War II. In order to attend the all-white public school he goes to, he has to work in the kitchen during lunchtime. When a Japanese girl, Keiko, joins the school and the kitchen staff, they develop a forbidden friendship, and later something deeper, that is further complicated when Keiko and her family are sent to an internment camp in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attacks.

Indulgent Book Talk: This is one of those books that just works. I don’t know how to say it other than that. It’s not groundbreaking, it’s not the best-written book I’ve ever read, the subject matter is fairly tried and true, and in fact stands as a very traditional novel. But for that reason, I found it refreshing and enjoyable. Plus, it had a happy ending. These books very often end up unhappy, and sometimes I think authors find it trendy to end their books in sad ways. Ford, on the other hand, wanted the readers to feel good at the end of the book. And he doesn’t disappoint. The book is structured to take place in two time periods, one of them during World War II, and the other in the 1980’s, when Henry’s life is very different. It was easy to follow.

Glorifying Elements: The main theme that stood out to me in this novel was the triumph of ordinary human goodness. This played out in Henry’s feeling about the internment camps, in his loyalty to Keiko and her family, and ultimately (SPOILER ALERT), his commitment to his wife even as she dealt with a fatal illness. Henry lived in a complicated time period, and he acts nobly much of the time.

Worldly Elements: There is no need to rate this book above PG. There is no sexual content except a chaste kiss or two between teenagers, no violence except some encounters with school bullies, and no cursing whatsoever. Henry does disobey his parents, which of course goes against God’s commands, but he is a very human character.

General Recommendation: Yes. Definitely a nice, redemptive read with interesting characters in a fascinating time period.