Everyone encounters this big old war in history books or during classroom lectures, but we don't often think about how warfare actually affects the lives of everyday people, particularly those living outside the line of fire. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet deals with a past event that we've heard about again and again- World War II.

What is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet About and Why Should I Care? In short, it's the best of times and the worst of times for Henry and Keiko, and we get to experience it all without risking our own precious little hearts. That said, without giving too much away, it's also a story about hope and the power of love. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet explores the price of war and how everyday lives are affected by large-scale conflict-not even young love is safe. The discovery of belongings left behind by Japanese American families at the Panama Hotel brings on a rush of memories, and Henry embarks on a journey to look for Keiko again, hoping to right the past. Then the story fast-forwards to decades later, when Henry Lee is an old man with a grown son of his own. Alas, because of the war and Henry's prejudiced traditionalist father, our two lovebirds are torn apart and end up falling out of touch-despite the purity of their true love. Luckily for Henry, Keiko likes him back, so they agree to be an item. Get ready for lots of adolescent awkwardness and sweaty palms.

Published in 2009, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a tale of first love and loss (hence the sweetness and the bitterness), revolving around a Chinese American boy named Henry Lee who grows up in the midst of World War II and falls in love with a Japanese American girl named Keiko Okabe. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, his father wore an 'I Am Chinese' pin so people wouldn't assume he was Japanese and attack or harass him ( source). See, Jamie Ford came up with the idea for his debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, from a story his father told about growing up during World War II. It all started with an 'I Am Chinese' button.Īllow us to explain. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Introduction

Corner of bitter and sweet hotel