The Bottom Line
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a moving love story and a well written piece of historical fiction. Jamie Ford not only opens up the past, he also creates characters that readers will enjoy getting to know.
Pros
- A sweet, romantic story without sexual content.
- An interesting look at a disturbing piece of American history.
- An easy to read, but intelligent book.
Cons
- The book is simple, and some people might want more depth of characters or history.
Description
- 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' by Jamie Ford was first published in January 2009.
- Publisher: Ballantine Books
- 285 Pages
Guide Review - 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' by Jamie Ford - Book Review
When my book club read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford every single person rated the book 4.5 stars out of 5. Why such a high rating? We were drawn into the love story between a 12 year old Chinese boy and Japanese girl during World War II. We appreciated the perspective of an older Henry reflecting on the past. And we all learned something new about Japanese internment during World War II. It gave us good material for discussion -- always a plus for a book club book.
i>Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is not, however, a 5 star book. It is not a literary masterpiece. It does not offer any especially deep or unexpected insights. The history in it is more memorable than the characters themselves.
In my book club, though, we appreciate enjoyable reads that give us something to talk about. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet fit the bill. If you like books such as Snow Flower and the Secret Fan or Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, you will probably enjoy Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
