Author: Jamie Ford
# of Pages: 297 (hardback)
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: 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.
Review: What started off as a slow, confusing read turned into a real page turner.
This is the first book I've read by this author, so I didn't know what to expect. At first I was put off by the back-and-forth between the 1900s and the 1960s. Ford throws the reader headfirst into Ernest's life and Gracie's memory loss which made it difficult to really get into the book. However, as the story progressed, Ford did a good job of tying the "present" and the past chapters together as the story of Ernest and the two loves of his life unfolds.
I was experiencing some minor deja vu with the structure of the book, and then I realized it was because of the striking similarity with The Notebook. I would say that Love and Other Consolation Prizes is a MUCH better love story despite sharing a message of being able to love two people at once.
This book read like a tragedy to me, with the main characters barely staying afloat with the support of each other in a world that was not kind to people like them; prostitutes, orphans, immigrants. I loved being able to see into Seattle's past, into the Garment district and the hypocrisy of many high-standing people at the time.
Overall, a good, captivating, and quick read. I would recommend this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment