Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

A Novel

By: Jamie Ford

Narrated by: Feodor Chin

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “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, forty 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, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“Mesmerizing and evocative, a tale of conflicted loyalties and timeless devotion.”—Sara Gruen, bestselling 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, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“Mesmerizing and evocative, a tale of conflicted loyalties and timeless devotion.”—Sara Gruen, bestselling 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

“Heartfelt . . . a timely debut that not only reminds readers of a shameful episode in American history, but cautions us to examine the present and take heed we don’t repeat those injustices.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Ford’s story of an innocent passion across racial barriers—and of the life of a man who forsook the girl he loved—is told with an artistic technique that makes emotion inevitable.”—Louis B. Jones

“A beautiful and tender masterpiece . . . a book everyone will be talking about, and the best book you’ll read this year.”—Anne Frasier

“A heartwarming story of fathers and sons, first loves, fate, and the resilient human heart . . . marvelously evocative.”—Jim Tomlinson

How often do you read a feel good book about WWII?

This is a book about racism. It toggles between two periods of time. Part of the book is in the 1940's, WWII, where Henry, a twelve year old Chinese Boy and Keiko a Japanese American girl meet in the school kitchen of a white American public school. The other part of the book is in 1986, when Henry is an adult with his own adult child, Marty, who has finished university and is engaged to be married. When I think of WWII, I think of Germany and their invasion into the European countries and their murder of Jews and other European groups totaling well over 11 million people. I never think of America, Japan and China. This book has changed that. However this book is not about war, it is about love, about hope, about overcoming hate and expected standards for the times. This book is about the pure friendship of two innocent children who have the misfortune of meeting each other in very tumultuous times. It's about how Henry overcomes the hate his parents feel for the Japanese and how Keiko overcomes the loss of her home and transfer of her family to interment camps. It is a war story, well told with factual information, but cloaked in the protection and innocence of the love of two children. Not a page-turner by any means, but a story that will leave you thinking long after it's over.
The narrator Feodor Chin was excellent as well. Easy to listen too, proper accents etc.

Truly Bitter and Sweet

I have never written a review before but felt compelled to write on this book. This was the most beautifully touching book I have ever listen to. Wonderful story and great narrator.

Throughly Enjoyable

Well written, a good story. The characters are well developed and engaging. The plot thought out and with a good pace, not to slow but plenty of details.

I was able to play with my children in the car, no junk to keep away from them. It's was one of the few listens that they actually turned off their iPods and listened to the story and even sat in the car when we got home and said dont turn it off yet.

The narrator did a fine job, easy to understand even with accents and easy on the ears.

Give it a try. You wont be disappointed.

Don't miss this one

Here's this years feel good book. A sweet love story set in a time in our history as a nation that is not mentioned too often. An era as a nation that we would like to forget,but there is a good history lesson here along with an interesting take on the Japanese /Chinese relationships.

I loved this book.

For anyone who is interested in the mixture of American history, relationships, and cultural diversity, this is a beautiful book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Heart wrenching, emotional, maddening at times. Beautifully written and narrated.