Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford: This is a story about identity and parentage. The son of Chinese immigrants and the daughter of a second generation Japanese family fall in love during WWII in Seattle. But this is more than a love story. It is about loyalty to your family and to your country. And in the end it is about where you belong you and what you are willing to endure to show that you belong. Wonderful story with food for thoughts.
Am Ende bleiben die Zedern by Pierre Jarawan: Upon traveling to Lebanon I decided to get to know the country better by reading up on it. Unfortunately that didn’t work out. This book is foremost a family story with a dissatisfying end. On the other hand you get an insight on the trauma that kids of refugees can have. After living in Germany for years already, the father of the main protagonist disappears without a word. The book is mostly about Samir’s search for him.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang: What happens when a woman with Asperger syndrome is searching for a partner. I didn’t know anything about Asperger to begin with and I liked how it was explained in the book. Stella comes across as super competent with a couple of issues. And it’s the issues which keep her from dating. I mean the story is a bit unbelievable overall but it’s a romance after all. And it is very entertaining. So I can’t wait for book two.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang: I was expecting a follow-up to the ‘Kiss Quotient’ and that’s not what it is. It’s the story of a secondary character from the first book. Khai is also about someone with a form of autism and gets his bride imported from Vietnam. Is this still happening that mothers choose the brides of their sons? I know it is in China because there I have seen the markets. But anywhere else in the world? Not sure if I will give book three a go.
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