"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 set in a time and a place lost forever,
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet gives us a glimpse of the damage that is caused by war--not the sweeping damage of the battlefield but the cold, cruel damage to the hearts and humanity of individual people. This is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more important, it will make you feel."
--Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain "Mesmerizing and evocative, a tale of conflicted loyalties and timeless devotion."
--Sara Gruen, bestselling author of Water for Elephants "A wartime-era Chinese-Japanese variation on
Romeo and Juliet . . . The period detail [is] so revealing and so well rendered."
--The Seattle Times "A poignant story that transports the reader back in time . . . a satisfying and heart-wrenching tale."
--Deseret Morning News "A lovely combination of romantic coincidence, historic detail and realism that is smooth and highly readable . . . Ford does wonderful work in re-creating prewar Seattle."
--The Oregonian "Heartfelt . . . a timely debut that not only reminds readers of a shameful episode in American history, but cautions us to examine the present and take heed we don't repeat those injustices."
--Kirkus Reviews "Ford's story of an innocent passion across racial barriers--and of the life of a man who forsook the girl he loved--is told with an artistic technique that makes emotion inevitable."
--Louis B. Jones "A beautiful and tender masterpiece . . . a book everyone will be talking about, and the best book you'll read this year."
--Anne Frasier "A heartwarming story of fathers and sons, first loves, fate, and the resilient human heart . . . marvelously evocative."
--Jim Tomlinson
