Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet October 13, 2011

As I’ve said before, I have a soft spot for historical fiction – especially history that has happened in the past hundred years or so.  It’s still new – it hasn’t been picked apart by history books, told over and over to school children, or eulogized in movies.  There’s still an air of mystery, still time to stake your claim in the land of fiction and inform people about an event they may not know of.

Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, has successfully done so.  He has created a magical, heart-wrenching story full of skilled storytelling and smart writing, set during the little-known time of 1940′s Seattle.

The POV switches throughout the book from young Henry Lee to old Henry Lee.  Young Henry Lee is a young Chinese American boy who falls in love with a Japanese American girl during Seattle’s Japanese round-up, World War II.  Old Henry Lee still lives in Seattle, still walks by the same neighborhood in which he grew up, still looks back on what might have been.  A little older, a little wiser, more realistic, but still the same dreamy Henry Lee.

At times humorous, at times despairing, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a well constructed story that you won’t want to put down.  Each character is masterfully developed, with personalities and quirks all their own.  In all, a very realistic piece of fiction.  Not to mention the title – I would have personally bought the book just for that.

Pick up this book, reader.  Historical fiction with a twist – you won’t be disappointed.

Reign of Madness September 17, 2011

Rarely do I ever pick up an historical fiction; I’m not sure why, I love history, and being entertained by true but unknown stories.

I read Reign of Madness in one day.  I began at 8am, while the child I nanny was watching Curious George.  I finished 14 hours later, relaxing in the bathtub at my home.  I couldn’t put it down.

Once I figured out who each character was and settled into the formal dialogue, the story flowed like water from a raincloud.  I found myself immersed in history, intrigue, love, violence, lies, and happiness.  Reign of Madness gives you rare insight into a 15^th century royal family, and, while the details are fiction, depicts a way of life that is shocking, yet not fully unexpected.

The story follows Juana, a princess who, through unexpected mishaps, becomes heir to the Spanish throne.  We first meet her as a young child, and as the chapters pass she moves to teen to wife to mother, all whilst chronicling her daily life.

There actually was a Queen Juana the Mad in the early 15^th century; as the story goes, upon her husband’s death she was locked into a tower and not seen for around 45 years.  Since that is all that history offers, Lynn Cullen decided to do some research and constructed a beautiful story that seems altogether realistic.  She captured the dialogue, thoughts, settings, and characters perfectly.  She achieved excellent character development and I found myself loving, cheering for, and even hating certain characters.

Lynn Cullen has found her niche, and I look forward to other stories that she may have hiding up her sleeve.