Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Like the human mind, this story travels back and forth in time. For awhile it is the 1940's. Then, the story will pick up with 1986. I like the way Jamie Ford uses time in the novel "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Each chapter is given from a character's viewpoint. It is mind boggling that the author wrote such a small book which comes across as a huge family saga. The novel takes place during WWII. This is a very trying time in American History for Japanese families. The novel is about a Chinese family and a Japanese family whose lives intertwine for better or worse. As Henry, the Chinese boy, says, life is bitter and sweet. There is also Sheldon. Sheldon is a Black Saxaphone player. His life will  weave itself into time spent with Keiko and Henrry. I have heard it said every person has a story. That is very true in this novel. All of the people I named above have a story. The stories are weaved together so well that it is impossible for me to detach one story from the other one and say this is my favorite part of the story.  I think of this book as a coming of age story. There is Keiko, Henry and Chaz. All young people fighting their personal battles about identity, love and hate. Finally, there is a chance to meet Henry grown up. His wife has died. Henry has a son named Marty. He is dating an American girl.

I guess time does heal issues. Marty is dating an American girl. Henry has no problem with it. He like the American girl especially since she can cook Chinese. I suppose Henry's father, Marty's grandfather, would have rolled over in his grave. Have these kids gone crazy and totally forgotten their Chinese heritage?

There is one thing. It did seem to me that Henry grew up so fast. All of a sudden he was in love. I thought his words seemed too mature for a thirteen year old boy. Then, I read about how mature his father had been at that age. His father had married at thirteen years old. So in different cultures maturity comes at different times. In America, in the Twenty-First Century we definitely do not want our children thinking about  marriage at age thirteen. That's a no-no. Still, I remember being told my paternal grandmother married at thirteen years old and began having children. So time can not be pinned down.  Ideas change. Ideas come and go. Nothing seems to remain the same forever.

Learning about different cultures is very interesting. I learned quite a bit about the Chinese family while reading about Henry. His father disowned Henry at a young age because Keiko, the Japanese girl, is his friend. Henry's father could never forget the Japanese's hatred for the Chinese. For three years he did not say a word to his son. I don't know if long memories are a cultural thing. I just know it is what happened in this family.Also, while the Japanese family seemed so forgiving and accepting of persons of a different race. They liked Henry. They had no old war hatreds. Nothing. They just liked Henry as a fine young man. When Henry visits the Japanese camp, they make him feel at home.  The way people think of race and culture are fascinating and covered well in this book. I'm anxious to read Jamie Ford's newest novel, Song's Willow Frost.
jamieford

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