Stop by the library and pick up your copy of this month’s selected book entitled “Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet”, by author Jamie Ford. This bestselling historical fiction novel is about the love and friendship between Henry Lee, a Chinese American boy, and Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American girl, during the internment in World War II.
The hotel is the Panama Hotel, an old dilapidated landmark in Seattle. It’s 1986 and 56-year-old Henry Lee is among the onlookers who witness the unveiling of recently discovered belongings left in the basement of the hotel by Japanese families in the 1940s. To Henry, however, the trunks, suitcases and crates and their contents are not just mere curiosities or historical artifacts. For him, they bring remembrances of the World War II years, of being twelve years old and trying to fit in an all-white school while following Chinese cultural traditions at home; of being Asian and his father’s dread that he would be confused with the enemy, the Japanese. Most importantly, they bring back memories of a special friendship with Keiko, the only other kid of Asian ethnicity in school.
The friendship theme plays a strong part in “Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet”. There is the friendship of Sheldon, the mentor who provides a strong, sympathetic male character and father figure, and Henry. There is the unlikely friendship of Mrs. Beatty, Henry’s work supervisor, who makes it possible for Henry to continue his relationship with Kieko. Finally, there is the friendship and eventual romantic relationship of Henry and Kieko, two individuals from different cultures whose bonds, nevertheless, endure through time. This is a very satisfying read for anyone with a sense of history, destiny, and family. The library’s book club members will meet on Monday, April 6th at 5:00p.m. to discuss this book.
