Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a historical fiction novel written by Jamie Ford. Set in Seattle during the 1940s and 1980s, the novel tells the story of Henry Lee, a Chinese-American man who looks back on his life and his relationship with Keiko Okabe, a Japanese-American girl he knew in his youth.
The novel begins in the 1980s, when Henry is in his 50s and working as a historian at the Panama Hotel in Seattle's International District. The hotel has recently been bought by a new owner, and while cleaning out the basement, Henry discovers a collection of Japanese-American belongings that were left behind during World War II, when Japanese-Americans were forcibly relocated to internment camps. Among the items is a suitcase belonging to Keiko, who was Henry's childhood friend and first love.
As Henry reflects on the past, the novel flashes back to the 1940s, when Henry and Keiko were teenagers growing up in the same neighborhood. Despite the social and cultural barriers that separated them, Henry and Keiko form a close bond, drawn together by their shared love of jazz music and their mutual desire to belong in a world that often treats them as outsiders.
However, their relationship is tested when the United States enters World War II and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, which leads to the forced relocation of Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast. Henry's family, who are Chinese-American, are spared from relocation, but Keiko and her family are forced to leave their home and are sent to an internment camp in Idaho.
As the years pass, Henry and Keiko lose touch, but they never forget each other. In the 1980s, Henry is finally able to reconnect with Keiko and they are able to reconnect and reconcile the past.
Throughout the novel, Ford explores themes of love, loss, and the lasting impact of historical events on individual lives. Through the story of Henry and Keiko, he also touches on issues of racism, prejudice, and the struggles of being caught between two cultures. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a poignant and moving tale of love, friendship, and the power of memory.
