Love and other consolation prizes by Jamie Ford

 

Name of Book: Love and Other Consolation Prizes 

Author: Jamie Ford 

ISBN: 978-0-8041-7675-0

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Type of book: 1902, 1909- 1911, 1962, world fair, friendship, prostitution, secrets, love, America, Washington Seattle, China, family, daughter's, marriage, relationship, exclusion, prejudice, Asian racism, life 

Year it was published: 2017

Summary:

A powerful novel about an orphan boy who is raffled off at Seattle’s 1909 World Fair, and the friends who teach him what it really means to have a family, from the author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

Inspired by a true story, this is the unforgettable story of a young boy named Ernest, set during the 1909 Seattle world’s fair called the Alaska Yukon Pacific Expo. It is a time when the magical wonders of technology on display at the expo future seems limitless. But for Ernest, a half-Chinese orphan who found his way to America through a last desperate act of his beloved mother, every door is closed. A charity student at a boarding school, he has never really had a place to call home. Then one day, his wealthy sponsor announces that if a home is what he wants, then that is what he will have: Ernest will be offered as a prize in the daily raffle at the fair, advertised as “Healthy boy to a good home for the winning ticket holder.” The woman who “wins” him is the madam of a notorious brothel who was famous for educating her girls. He becomes a houseboy in her brothel and is befriended by the daughter of the madam, as well as a Japanese girl who works in the kitchen. The friendship and love between these three form the first real family Ernest has ever known.

Characters:

Main characters include Yung Kun-Ai ( Earnest Young) who is half Chinese and half Caucasian. Earnest is best described as innocent, loyal, fierce and resourceful when it comes to his own life. I am also of opinion that Earnest does his best to move past his tragic history and doesn't seem to let it affect him or his family. Fahn is a young Japanese girl who is bold, fearless and someone who seems to suffer from low self esteem. She, like Earnest doesn't want to let the past define her. Maisie is a young Caucasian girl who happens to be daughter of a prostitute. At first she seems extremely rude and spoiled and believes she can get or have whoever she desires. However, only time will tell if that is true or not.   

Theme:

History has a lot of impact on the past 

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative from Earnests point of view. The tale begins in 1962 and sets up a slight mystery of Earnest and what he is hiding. Then the tale moves to 1902 when young Earnest Young, otherwise known as Yung Kun-ai literally watches his mother kill his newborn baby sister, a half Caucasian child like he. He also learns he will go to America for better life. After surviving the overseas voyage, it seems as if Earnests life is destined to go smoothly; he has a wealthy sponsor and goes to school and might have a future better than back in China. But fate has a terrible sense of humor, especially when he learns he will be auctioned and will be reunited with a girl from his voyage as well as meet a new girl, Maisie. The story jumps between 1900s and 1962 introducing us to a lot of character's and the situations going on. Prepare for a wonderful and nostalgic ride through Earnests life.  

Author Information:
(Goodreads)

Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and went on to win the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Jamie’s work has been published in 34 languages. Also, because Jamie feels weird writing about himself in the 3rd person, he’s going to say…

Hi, this is me.

Not a publicist. Not some weird aggregated bit of web-content, just little ol’ me, the author, sitting here in my favorite Batman pajamas (yes, I have several pairs) writing this note in my cozy home office, dog at my feet. His name is Dexter and he’s twitching right now, obviously chasing rabbits in his dreams.

While we’re chatting, I should mention that my second novel, Songs of Willow Frost, came out in 2013–which I think is better than my first novel, but I’m kind of biased.

And…now my third novel Love and Other Consolation Prizes, also historical fiction, also set in Seattle, will be published September 12, 2017.

If you’re looking for more things that have spilled out of my brain, I have steampunk tales in The End is Nigh, The End is Now, and The End Has Come (The Apocalypse Triptych). Also a story in Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life. That particular piece is about Daredevil, Elektra, and how I lost my virginity. (TMI?)

Opinion:

There is definitely a strange and enchanting magic when picking up a Jamie Ford novel: first is the essence of character's childhood selves which is quite something between a fairytale and reality. That magic was evident in Songs of Willow Frost ( I want to reread it again...) and in the current novel. While I have read his first novel, Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet, unfortunately it didn't hold such magic for me. Characters wise, the story has commonalities with Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet, especially the dynamic between Earnest and Fahn, a Japanese young lady who is a little bit older than Earnest. I also will mention that it's a wrenching and sweet story and just like HOTEL on the corner of bitter and sweet, it deals with old age as well as youth and two generations. 

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)