Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford, is a novel set in Seattle in the early 1940's during World War II, but it is also told by the main character, Henry, in 1985.  Henry is a Chinese-American boy who goes to an otherwise all-white school on a scholarship, until a new student, Keiko, arrives.  Keiko is a Japanese-American girl who works with Henry serving food at lunchtime, and cleaning up after school.  The two become fast friends, but soon predjudices and the war interferes.  The story is about friendship and young love, but also intertwines the history of discrimination and the internment camps which even American born Japanese were forced to leave their homes and enter. 

I think this is my new favorite book.  Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down.  I have been fascinated by the interment camps ever since I learned about them in school, and to this day it amazes me that the United States thought it was acceptable to inprison thousands of Americans solely based on their ethnicity.  The story helped me to understand what these people had to endure, and what life must have been like.  At the same time, I was rooting for Henry as he faced all sorts of obstacles.  I liked the mix between his story as a child and when he was older.  I would definitely recommend this book, especially to people who are interested in World War II and what it was like in America at the time, but I do think everyone could find something they like about it.

Prayers for Sale, by Sandra Dallas

Prayers for Sale, by Sandra Dallas, is set in Colorado in 1936, and is a story about an old woman named Hennie, who lives in a mining town in the Rocky Mountains.  Life isn't easy for the residents of Middle Swan, and when a new couple moves to town, Hennie does her best to acclimate Nit, the wife, to the harsh conditioins of life in the mountains.  Hennie is a smart, resiliant woman who has lived through a lot and has the stories to prove it.  While helping Nit get used to the town, Hennie tells many of her stories, and the two women develop a friendship which both women rely on.

This was one of the best books I have read in a long time.  The storytelling is fantastic.  The author really throws you into the story, and uses the dialect of the time while still being easy to read.  Just when you feel like the story might get monotonous, the author goes into another of Hennie's stories, and you get drawn in again.  The story is woven together beautifully, and it paints a picture of how people lived in the 1930's, especially the harsh conditions of the time and location.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good story, and I would definitely read another of Dallas' books.