Novel Whore

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In case you haven’t noticed, I read a lot of historical fiction, a lot. I love history, I love dragging my family through historical little towns, visiting museums, old ships like the USS Constitution, and learning more about World history. One of the things I love about historical fiction is that they bring a human element to history. I think most people hated history classes in school because it seemed like a lot of useless memorizing of dates and places. Real people were there! Real people had their real lives affected by historical events!

The second thing I love about historical fiction is that the events the novels surround are often events that our history books glossed over or skipped altogether. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford centers around the evacuation of Japanese citizens who were sent to internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Luckily, Mr Ford doesn’t simply regale us with dates and places. The main character Henry Lee lets us into his life as a young Chinese boy living in Seattle during World War II when the Japanese were already beginning to feel the racial tension. Henry falls in love with a young Japanese girl, much to the dismay of his strict father.

Novels that show a relationship between father and son are few and far between these days, so it was interesting to see the Lee’s relationship, especially the effect the evacuations had on the interactions between them. Henry’s father is portrayed as a brute that sends mixed messages like forcing Henry to wear a button that says I’m Chinese, while not allowing him to speak Chinese even though his father can’t speak English. The dynamics are bitter and sweet.

The one thing I did find lacking was the relationship between Henry and his son Marty. I could see the parallels between the two relationships easily, but I didn’t like the way Marty was thrown into the story, or his girlfriend.

I really enjoyed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet for including a glimpse into the Jazz scene in Seattle and the use of landmarks that still exist today. One of my two requirements of a novel that I keep are that is makes me want to learn more, and visit someplace, Ford has accomplished both.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Novel Whore Rating: 3 Notches on the Bed Post

Wine Pairing: Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2007

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