Book Review: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford

I believe the measure of a good book is not how fast you can read it, but whether you are left weeping as you turn its last pages. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, a story about the struggle between love and loyalty during World War II era America, left me blissfully satisfied by these standards and lingering over some of life’s toughest questions.

Henry Lee is a boy caught between worlds. It is 1942 and World War II is raging overseas, but for the Chinese-American and Japanese-American living in the United States, the battle is much closer to home. Japanese families are no longer treated as citizens as fear rises about spies living among them. The rift between Chinese and Japanese families grows as Japan continues to attack in the old country. The threat of internment is looming.

Henry’s father, a deeply loyal and respected Chinese man, finds Henry a place at an all-white school where he can learn to fit in and “speak his American.” Each day he begrudgingly pins an “I am Chinese” button to his lapel and walks to school. His only friend is Sheldon, a black saxophone player with dreams of playing jazz clubs, whose music fills the street corner Henry passes each day.

Life changes for Henry when he is forced to work in the cafeteria with the new girl, Keiko, a young Japanese girl with a sweet smile. As he at first stumbles and then plunges deeper and deeper in love, he faces the decision to stay true to his young heart or to his father’s wishes to avoid the Japanese.

The story is told from the perspective of Henry Lee as an adult man 40 years after the war has ended. This style of writing is not always smooth, but the author writes the flashbacks in such a way that you aren’t feeling jerked backward and forward. Mr. Ford’s writing flows naturally from past to present as Henry recalls memories of what he once loved and lost. He introduces us to the people of his past, both charming and relatable. You will find yourself as interested in the side characters as you are in Henry and Keiko.

Reading this book was a pleasure, like relaxing with smooth jazz or enjoying a warm cup of green tea at the Panama Hotel. If you enjoy period books and film, I would highly recommend this book to you. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet feels like a time capsule to the war years. This book really has something for everyone. It is a story which begs the question “What is an American?” It examines the struggle between pursuing personal desires and honoring our parents. Above all it celebrates love and the idea that it is never too late to fix what is broken.