Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

[bj neary]

This beautiful book is about the end of World War II in California and how the Japanese were taken to the internment camps.  Henry Lee is the boy telling the story and is Chinese and his parents send him to an American school and make him wear a sign that says "I am Chinese" which most people ignore.  He is bullied in school and at home must speak only English (even though his parents don't understand English).  Life sucks for Henry Lee, until one day Japanese Keiko Akabe starts at his school and works beside him in the lunch room.  Henry cherishes their friendship, and it blossoms into love.  When Keiko's family must report to an internment camp, Henry begins to correspond with her.  He also visits her when he is asked to help in their kitchens on a weekly basis. As he grows older, Henry promises to wait for her.  There is so much in this story to love.  Henry is older when the story begins and he remembers his childhood, has an acrimonious relationship with his son and is despondent over the death of his wife, no she is not Keiko.  Such a great story, I loved every minute of it and so will you.

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