Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford

I’ve heard this book’s title over the years but never knew what it was about - I picked it up because as a, “Hmm, I’ve heard this one was good.” I’m so glad I did.

As a huge fan of all things WW2, I am always surprised when there is more out there to learn - the United States’ Japanese internment camps is one of those subjects for me. While I knew of them, I knew nothing about them.

Bitter and Sweet is not necessarily about the camps themselves, but how Keiko, an average 12-year old American born Japanese girl ended up in one, and how her best friend and school mate, an American born Chinese boy named Henry, would not let her go, until he did. But did he?

Beautifully written, the reader will not even realize the nuances of racism and hatred that runs deep and pervasive throughout the book as you feel the childhood crush turn to real love in its truest sense.

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, written many years ago, could not be more timely in today’s world, where so much is going on regarding culture, race, hatred. Read the book - fall in love with Keiko and Henry’s sweet pubescent journey as they navigate the differences in their cultures, their families, their race. I think you will remember this one for a very long time; I know I will.