91 pages 3 hours read

Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009

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Chapters 28-32Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 28 Summary: “Sketchbook (1986)”

Henry, Marty, and Samantha sort through the belongings in the basement of the Panama Hotel. Among the treasures they have uncovered are a number of framed diplomas, some costume jewelry, and a Japanese ceremonial sword. Samantha finds a pile of sketchbooks, which excites Henry. Looking through a sketchbook, Marty is stunned to find a drawing of 12-year-old Henry. At the same time, digging through a nearby pile, Samantha finds the old Oscar Holden record that Keiko bought for Henry. The record is in perfect, brand-new condition—other than being broken in two.

Chapter 29 Summary: “Uwajimaya (1986)”

After the discovery in the hotel, Henry, Marty, and Samantha stop by a grocery store so Samantha can buy ingredients for dinner, which she insists on cooking. Henry and Marty discuss their findings, which Ms. Pettison has allowed Henry to take on a temporary basis. Henry tells Marty about Keiko for the first time, explaining that she was his best friend during the war years. Marty understands the implications this friendship would have had with his fiercely anti-Japanese grandfather. He asks if Ethel knew about Keiko. Henry’s answer is that when he married Ethel, he never looked back.