Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Jamie Ford
Edition Published 2009

Growing up we always tend to misunderstand our parents. Even their best intentions are often met with derision.  In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the reader follows Henry Lee as he opens the Pandora box of his life when he searches through belongings left behind by Japanese families forced into internment camps during World War II.

Henry reminiscences of his adolescence growing up in a strict Chinese household and finding friendship with a young Japanese girl also trying to survive as the odd one out in a white world.  Henry's family forbids him to have any Japanese relations, which creates a "Romeo & Juliet" plot line.  Asians are often lumped together as the enemy following Pearl Harbor.   In addition a distrust of the Japanese after their invasion of China, Henry's family also fears any association with the Japanese may cast suspicion on them, ruining the life they have created for themselves in America.

I had heard too much positive feedback on this book, so of course it kind of fell flat.  All I could think as I read was, "Why didn't I think of this?"  It didn't help that the supporting characters weren't believable.  His budding romance serves as a vehicle for Henry to have many experiences that just didn't seem realistic.  And I just wasn't able to buy into the fantasy.

I suppose it is a good beach book, but so much more could have been done.  I like to think that I'm not just saying this because I did my Senior Thesis on Japanese Internment Camps, but maybe I am.  It is certainly an area of American History that was too quickly forgotten.

Booth's Sister

Booth's Sister
Jane Singer
Edition Published 2008

Asia Booth Clarke's brother killed Abraham Lincoln.  If you look at her picture, you can see the dark brooding eyes that her family was famous for.  In Booth's Sister, Singer writes about Asia and John's relationship, from illegitimate children romping through the woods to confidants living lives on separate sides of the Civil War divide.

Intrigued?  So was I.  Maybe I had too high of expectations, but I was disappointed.  I knew that it was historical fiction, but there was just something too unrealistic about the story.  Whereas Singer's characterization of Asia started out strong, it sort of petered out as the book went on (it was only 228 pages) and John's character is weak throughout the entire book.  I know that this is still a controversial aspect, but if you are going to tackle it, why not pile drive it into the ground?   I think I would have been better off just reading Asia Clarke's autobiographical account. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K. Rowling and Mary GrandPré
Edition published 2000

Mock me if you will, but I intend to reread the series now that I have a new found appreciation.  That being said, I don't have the attention span to sit down and read them back to back.  I am sure that I would despise Mr. Potter as much as the Malfoys.

 In Book 2, Potter returns to Hogwarts in an unconventional way after a miserable summer in the Muggle world. With the introduction of a new flamboyant professor and a dramatic ghost, Harry and his friends once more save the school while dealing with adolescence and all its trappings.

I love watching the characters grow up and how their relationships evolve. While Rowling has crafted a great adventure story, she has shown how important friendship is, even with all of its quirks.  But it did leave one mystery to be solved: What role did Mary GrandPré have in writing this book?

The Scandal of the Season

The Scandal of the Season
Sophie Gee
Published 2007

It's 1711 and newly celebrated poet, Alexander Pope is invited into society life in for the "season" in London. His unique perspective, especially the scandalous love affair between Lord Petre and Arabella Fermor, inspires his satirical poem, The Rape of Lock.

In her debut novel, Sophie Gee gives the back story of The Rape of Lock.  Although the book is historical fiction, Gee did her research.  As a PhD in English, her mastery of Lock's poem is a given, but she crafts a face to the Jacobite Revolution and Catholics living at this time.

For all those positives, I found the book lacking.  If you have read my previous posts you know a book's worth is measured by my ability to connect with the characters.  Maybe it was the haughty nature of the characters, but I could not bring myself to empathize with Arabella's heart break or Lord Petre's dilemma to choose life over love.