Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A NovelNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An impressive, bitter, and sweet debut that explores the age-old conflicts between father and son, the beauty and sadness of what happened to Japanese Americans in the Seattle era during World War II, and the depths and longing of deep-heart love.”—Lisa See “A tender and satisfying novel.”—Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II. As the owner displays and unfurls a Japanese parasol, Henry, a Chinese American, remembers a young Japanese American girl from his childhood in the 1940s—Keiko Okabe, with whom he forged a bond of friendship and innocent love that transcended the prejudices of their Old World ancestors. After Keiko and her family were evacuated to the internment camps, she and Henry could only hope that their promise to each other would be kept. Now, forty years later, Henry explores the hotel’s basement for the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot even begin to measure. His search will take him on a journey to revisit the sacrifices he has made for family, for love, for country. |
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Page 26
... listened to Superman on Saturday mornings as well . He thought about wandering over to the Nihonmachi side of town , just to poke around . Maybe he'd run into her . How big could it be ? Then he heard Sheldon playing in the distance and ...
... listened to Superman on Saturday mornings as well . He thought about wandering over to the Nihonmachi side of town , just to poke around . Maybe he'd run into her . How big could it be ? Then he heard Sheldon playing in the distance and ...
Page 29
... listened . He was that good . Henry liked to imagine a dark room , everyone clad in their fine suits and dresses , holding long - stemmed glasses , listening to music drift out of the spotlight onstage , cool fog rolling in off a ...
... listened . He was that good . Henry liked to imagine a dark room , everyone clad in their fine suits and dresses , holding long - stemmed glasses , listening to music drift out of the spotlight onstage , cool fog rolling in off a ...
Page 43
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American anyway asked Beatty breath building button called camp Chaz China Chinese closed Club coming corner crowd didn't don't door English Ethel eyes face father feel felt front girl gone hand happened he'd head hear heard heart held Henry looked Henry thought Henry's hope Hotel inside It's Japanese keep Keiko kids kitchen knew leaving letter listened lived Marty matter Miss months mother move never nodded Okabe once Oscar Panama parents past playing pointed record Samantha Seattle seemed seen Sheldon side smiled someone sound South speak steps stood stopped street sure surprised talk tell things told took trying turned wait walked wanted watched week window wondered young