Post by Monica Lynn on Nov 28, 2010 18:14:05 GMT -5
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
This book is about the internment of the Japanese in America during World War 2. I read this book for my library book club and again they made a wonderful choice. The book is set in Seattle Washington.
The two main characters in this book are Henry and Keiko and their families. Henry is Chinese and his father is of the belief that the Japanese are all evil and out to destroy China and America. Keiko is a Japanese girl that Henry meets at the white school they both attend. At first Henry is conflicted about Keiko because of his family.
Keiko thinks of herself as an American. She was born in America and speaks English. She does not know any Japanese which Henry learns after he says a phrase to her in Japanese. Keiko is impressed when she learns what the phrase really meant. Henry and Keiko become friends.
Keiko and her family are then sent away to camps. America is afraid that the Japanese who live in America are all spies and are going to help Japan attack the USA. They move all Japanese inland. Henry works in the cafeteria at school and the lady in charge there offers Henry a job on the weekends to help out at Camp Minodaka. Henry knows that this is where Keiko and her family have been sent. He hopes to find Keiko and is relieved when he does find her.
Even though they are both so far away from each other you can see that they truly do love and care for each other a lot. Henry promises to wait for her even if it is years.
I found myself crying and feeling sorry for Henry and Keiko as they struggled during this war time. The story goes back and forth from 1942 to 1986 etc. So you are reliving the events through Henry's memories. The story is wonderfully written and captivates the reader with the heart of the story.
5 stars
This book is about the internment of the Japanese in America during World War 2. I read this book for my library book club and again they made a wonderful choice. The book is set in Seattle Washington.
The two main characters in this book are Henry and Keiko and their families. Henry is Chinese and his father is of the belief that the Japanese are all evil and out to destroy China and America. Keiko is a Japanese girl that Henry meets at the white school they both attend. At first Henry is conflicted about Keiko because of his family.
Keiko thinks of herself as an American. She was born in America and speaks English. She does not know any Japanese which Henry learns after he says a phrase to her in Japanese. Keiko is impressed when she learns what the phrase really meant. Henry and Keiko become friends.
Keiko and her family are then sent away to camps. America is afraid that the Japanese who live in America are all spies and are going to help Japan attack the USA. They move all Japanese inland. Henry works in the cafeteria at school and the lady in charge there offers Henry a job on the weekends to help out at Camp Minodaka. Henry knows that this is where Keiko and her family have been sent. He hopes to find Keiko and is relieved when he does find her.
Even though they are both so far away from each other you can see that they truly do love and care for each other a lot. Henry promises to wait for her even if it is years.
I found myself crying and feeling sorry for Henry and Keiko as they struggled during this war time. The story goes back and forth from 1942 to 1986 etc. So you are reliving the events through Henry's memories. The story is wonderfully written and captivates the reader with the heart of the story.
5 stars
