Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet….

Thanks to my mom’s book club I get introduced to some amazing reads!

One of these books, “Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”, was introduced to me a few months ago. By the end of it I only wanted more, So I read  ” A conversation with Jamie Ford (author)”, A readers guide, reading group questions and topics for discussion: Just to squeeze ever little bit out of those pages!

Culture and American History intertwined with a love story or maybe it could be better said as a love story intertwined with Culture and American History!

” A wartime-era Chinese-Japanese variation of Romeo and Juliet..” – The Seattle Times

“Mesmerizing and evocative, a tale of conflicted loyalties and timeless devotion”- Sara Gruen author of Water for Elephants

Here is a short synopsis :

In the mid to late 80’s Henry Lee, Chinese American, is taken back in time when the doors to the Panama Hotel are opened and treasures of history are discovered and show cased. Henry Lee revisits his past through these belongings and tries to find his long lost love from when he was a young boy. His story goes back to the early 1940’s in Seattle Washington right after the tragic events of Pearl Harbor. The two main Characters, a young Chinese American boy (Henry Lee) and a young Japanese American girl, struggle to live in a society that shuns, taunts and despises anyone who  looks of Japanese decent . Despite the prejudices of their Old World ancestors, the two young and naive characters, built a bond of friendship and young love. The two were separated when Japantown was evacuated and all of the Japanese were taken to Internment camps “Harmony Camp” during WWII. Did their love prevail? Ahhh sooo bitter and yet sooo sweet!

Any more details revealed and the story may be ruined for those who have not yet read the book… So I am not going any further! You’ll have to read to find out!