Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

A Novel

By: Jamie Ford

Narrated by: Feodor Chin

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-seller.

“An impressive, bitter, and sweet debut that explores the age-old conflicts between father and son, the beauty and sadness of what happened to Japanese Americans in the Seattle era during World War II, and the depths and longing of deep-heart love.” (Lisa See)

In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II. As the owner displays and unfurls a Japanese parasol, Henry, a Chinese American, remembers a young Japanese American girl from his childhood in the 1940s - Keiko Okabe, with whom he forged a bond of friendship and innocent love that transcended the prejudices of their Old World ancestors. After Keiko and her family were evacuated to the internment camps, she and Henry could only hope that their promise to each other would be kept.

Now, 40 years later, Henry explores the hotel’s basement for the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot even begin to measure. His search will take him on a journey to revisit the sacrifices he has made for family, for love, for country.

Praise for Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet:

“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. This is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more important, it will make you feel.” (Garth Stein, best-selling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain)

“Mesmerizing and evocative, a tale of conflicted loyalties and timeless devotion.” (Sara Gruen, best-selling author of Water for Elephants)

“A wartime-era Chinese-Japanese variation on Romeo and Juliet.... The period detail [is] so revealing and so well rendered.” (The Seattle Times)

“A poignant story that transports the reader back in time...a satisfying and heart-wrenching tale.” (Deseret Morning News)

“A lovely combination of romantic coincidence, historic detail and realism that is smooth and highly readable.... Ford does wonderful work in re-creating prewar Seattle.” (The Oregonian)

©2009 Jamie Ford (P)2009 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An impressive, bitter, and sweet debut that explores the age-old conflicts between father and son, the beauty and sadness of what happened to Japanese Americans in the Seattle era during World War II, and the depths and longing of deep-heart love.” (Lisa See)

“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. This is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more important, it will make you feel.” (Garth Stein, best-selling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain)

“Mesmerizing and evocative, a tale of conflicted loyalties and timeless devotion.” (Sara Gruen, best-selling author of Water for Elephants)

Perfection!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Henry, of course, but I must say each of the characterswere very real to me

What about Feodor Chin’s performance did you like?

The softness of the voice, the wonderful cadences for each different part.So believable......never had to stop to think which character was "speaking" at any time.

If you could rename Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, what would you call it?

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told!

Any additional comments?

I have not gotten this caught up in a "read" in a very long time.....so emotional....never overdone.....just perfect......my emotions brought up and down as the story unfolded. I loved every character in this book....I cried for the last 10-15 minutes of the story....I finished listening about 2 hours ago, and yet the story and its characters remain with me. Beautifully done!!

Excellently read.

No extraneous dramatic effect. The narration allows the words to stand on their own merits.

Charming

A slow start - I actually stopped listening to it for a while and came back to it. I'm glad I gave it a second chance. Eventually the novel won me over and by the end I couldn't finish this fast enough. Narrator was ok - neither overly expressive nor dull and droll, but eventually he also won me over.

Couldn't turn it off!

What made the experience of listening to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet the most enjoyable?

I loved the narrator and the story and the author's excellent descriptions of places and events was fantastic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet?

When Harry's son realized his father had loved this woman his whole life but sacrificed those feelings for the honorable commitment to his wife.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

great writer! great story!

bit tough to start but great after a few pages ... very exciting book. a bit of sadness, laughter and romance

great book

I have two reading disabilities that make it hard to read something I'm interested in.
but this book made it hard get out of my seat

Great mix of American history and fiction

Would you listen to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet again? Why?
Definitely. I loved the story. This is a lovely tale about two young adults, from totally different cultures, who find a friendship and understanding in a world turned on end by war. The characters are very likable and the story is quite touching. Not in a mushy Harlequin way, but in a Wow sort of way.

What did you like best about this story?
I had no idea when I purchased the book that it took place in Seattle (my home town). I was surprised at how many places are still here today and how many I frequent on a regular basis. I thought I knew my town and our country's history pretty well… I was wrong.

What does Feodor Chin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I honestly didn't think I cared for audio books, but the narrator had a way of grabbing and holding my attention. His voice was even, his characters were believable, and he made you like them. I could honestly see each person in the story. I've heard other narrators that just annoyed me, their phony accents, over exaggerated voices, etc.... were too much like a very bad low budget film.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes, but I don't want to spoil the tale for anyone else.

A nice story

I feel like I know a little more about the Japanese internment during the war, now. The story was sweet and a bit sad.

Bitter and sweet

Loved this book. Don’t we all wonder....first love, first heartbreak and then what? Excellent writing, great story and worth the read.

One of the best books I’ve ever read

This was a fantastic book! I just can’t say enough about it. I felt like I’ve lived during world war 2 and know how it felt to be an American of Japanese decent.