Irecently picked up a copy of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet on the recommendation of a friend. I read the book and am I ever glad I did. This is one of those stories you wish would continue after you've finished the last page. It is so beautifully written, it almost reads itself.
Set in Seattle, the story deals with Chinese-American man, Henry Lee. He has lived on the edge of Japantown for most of his life and after his wife passes away, an unusual event happens as he is walking through the area. The old Panama Hotel is being restored and the new owners have found the belongings of a number of Japanese people - things that had been stored there prior to their owners being sent to encampments during World War II.
This discovery and the memories that ensue lead us to the story of Henry as a boy. His was a traditional family but his father sends him to the American school so his son will be able to get ahead in the world.
It is not an easy transition.
He learns to deal with bullies and those who look down upon him. Henry is neither his father's perfect Chinese son nor his schoolmates American equal. On the upside, he meets a wonderful Japanese girl, Keiko, who faces the same prejudices and they are two against the world at school.
When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbour, life changes for Henry, Keiko and their families. Henry's father is very anti-Japanese because of the events in China. He is appalled at his son's friendship with a Japanese girl and cuts him out of his life. Henry becomes even closer to Keiko and her family, and this drives him to help his new friends against the injustices they face.
This is only part of the story, though. Henry, a widower, needs to come to terms with his loneliness and with his son, with whom he has never been close.
The story is, as the title states, both bitter and sweet. What I loved about it was how real the story felt, almost if it was someone you knew recalling their life, with its ups and downs, excitements and sorrows.
Author Jamie Ford has written a beautiful novel describing the clashes between cultures, eras and generations.
It reminds me of Snow Falling on Cedars or The House of Sand and Fog in how the stories deal with the clash of cultures and forbidden love. Any of these three books would make excellent reads.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. Silvana Harwood is deputy director of Coquitlam Public Library.
