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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford
I really enjoyed this book! It was a very easy and quick read that I would classify as historical fiction as well as a love story. I know I’ve mentioned it 1001 times, but WWII history really fascinates me!
This story partly takes place in the 1980s as Henry is an older man as well as the 40s when he is a young boy living in Washington state. The atrocities that took place in Europe during WWII were terrible, but there were terrible things that happened on our shores as well.
All of the Japanese families, men women and children, were rounded up and put into internment camps to live the duration of the war. They were only allowed one suitcase apiece. The US government was afraid they were all spies and any one of them could turn on America at any time. Even the Japanese who had been here for more than 1 or 2 generations were still removed from their homes and their businesses dissolved Some of them didn’t even speak Japanese any more!.
In hearing my grandparents story of WWII and how they had friends at Pearl Harbor and how they were personally affected is so sad and was a tragedy for sure. I can understand how the internment camps were validated, but there was so much done to these people that was wrong as well. Many of them were American citizens and were loyal to America – which is part of the reason they came here in the first place.
I can’t begin to point fingers, I wasn’t living during that time and I have no idea what it was like. I know there was wrong on both sides and we are included. This book really helped me to take a more personal look at what happened and how sad it really was.
Jamie Ford gives a great synopsis of this book, so view here to know more!
Green & Grateful 