Jamie Ford knocked it out of the park once again! I absolutely loved "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet", and really enjoyed "Songs of Willow Frost". I knew I was in for a treat with "Love and Other Consolation Prizes". But it surpassed my highest expectations.
His use of multi-generational stories adds a depth to his characters that draws you in.
Are there any words of praise that have not been used a hundredfold already to describe Jamie Ford's books?
Sorrowful and sentimental, you find yourself immersed in Seattle in 1909 alongside Ernest as his story unfolds as a 12 year and then also 50 years later. The length the author goes to researching, his novels is impressive.truly appreciate learning a bit of history while being entertained..

I would have to say I liked this book but I wanted a little bit more out of it. I was definitely captivated by the story of Ernest and how he came to the states, and met and fell in love with both Maisie (I adore that name) and Fahn. It was interesting how that corresponded with the story of him nearly 60 years later with his wife who was starting to remember the past. I definitely didn't want to put the book down. However, I wanted MORE. I wanted a little more time in the early 1900s, learning about what else happened to all 3 of them. The book felt like it ended too abruptly, I wasn't ready for it to be over yet.

Once again Jamie Ford has created a wonderful work of historical fiction portraying the plight of the Asian American experience in the early twentieth century. Like his previous works, this book is actually two stories told in two different time periods - one in the past and one in more current times. Although in this novel the "present" is actually 1962. Both time periods involve the Seattle World's Fair and three people who were intricately connected that attended both fairs. It is the story of Ernest, Gracie and Maisie and how their lives were dramatically changed by the first Fair in 1909 when Ernest was actually raffled off as a prize. What follows is a sad but intriguing story that will keep you enthralled until the very end. And keep you guessing as to which girl actually ended up becoming Ernest's wife.
If you've read either of his previous works, you are sure to enjoy this one.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

I enjoyed Jamie Ford's previous novel "Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" so I was pleased to see he had a new book. It too is set in the Pacific Northwest and focuses on Asian immigrants in the early 1900s. Switching back and forth from 1902/1911 and 1962, it is a story of survival, love, strength and friendship among three individuals whose lives are entwined by circumstance.

I found it a little slow at the beginning, but overall a good read. (review posted on GoodReads)

[I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

Rating: 4/5 stars

This book pleasantly surprised me. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the perfect mix of historical events, cultural diversity, sorrow and joy, solid writing, and a touching love story made this book a winner. The characters were well-developed; I really connected with them and rooted for them. I wanted to know that they had happy endings, that the dark times created something beautiful. The plot was well-paced too, and I found myself easily devouring the pages. I loved that the story affirmed that all things happen for a reason, that people and loving others are what matters most, and that good things can come out of bad situations and rock-bottom circumstances.

There were some great quotes too:

"We all have things we don't talk about . . . Even though more often than not, those are the things that make us who we are."

"There are people in our lives whom we love, and lose, and forever long for. They orbit our lives like Halley's Comet, crossing into our universe only once, or if we're lucky, twice in a lifetime. And when they do, they affect our gravity."

"My theory . . . is that the best, worse, happiest, saddest, scariest, and most memorable moments are all connected. Those are the important times, good and bad. The rest is just filler."

The book didn't earn a 5-star in my opinion because some of the situations seemed a little extreme or not realistic, as if the author forced the plot unnaturally to evoke an emotional response. I also felt like the ending was wrapped up a little too neatly and wasn't too realistic.

Overall, this novel wasn't easy to read (some of the content is mature and tragic), but I was glad I read it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a touching story with a multicultural and historical slant.

I loved this story set in Seattle in the dual time periods of the Alaska-Yukon Expo of the early 1900s and the World's Fair in 1962. As in Jamie Ford's earlier books, the protagonist is a young Chinese boy. The story is of Ernest Young's early abandonment by his mother and his ability to survive in the United States. It is also about enduring friendships and what constitutes a family. Though the history of Ernest and the others shipped from China to America is cruel and tragic, the story is ultimately uplifting and emotionally satisfying.

Another compelling story about the Asian-American experience from Jamie Ford! I particularly liked his use of two timelines in this novel, because as Ernest remembers his boyhood as a not-so-old man, the reader can see clearly that in the modern times of the 1960s, a past when orphaned immigrants would be raffled off was really not that distant. As usual, I found his work emotionally poignant, historically fascinating, and literarily solid. Definitely a must-read for historical fiction aficionados.

Just as good as On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. What an amazing story! So fun to read about Seattle, when I'm familiar with the city

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book, but I really enjoyed the story. It was well woven between the 1960s & the early 1900s around the two Seattle World's Fair Expos about a half Chinese/half Caucasian boy that had some horrific things happen to him (sold in China to someone from the US, shipped over, thrown overboard to drown but managed to get out, "adopted," etc.) in his youth. The story is told from his elderly self who is with Gracie & has two daughters. Juju (his journalist daughter) found out about him being raffled off at the first world's fair in Seattle. She wants to know his story. Gracie is struggling with her memories of that time period as well & hasn't been herself the last couple of years. It is worth reading this book to find out how their stories are intertwined & what a horrific thing was happening in our history. Highly recommend this book!

This book was so compelling in the beginning but slowly I found myself getting bored, as I knew what was going to happen (due to the back and forth between the present and the past). That being said, the author is a great writer but an underlying gripping plot was just not there.

Having thoroughly enjoyed reading Jamie Ford’s book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, I was excited to see that he has written a new novel.

The two world’s fairs in Seattle provide the back story in Love and Other Consolation Prizes. The 1962 Seattle world’s fair, Century 21 Exposition, affords Ernest, the narrator, a chance to reminisce about his life during the previous world’s fair, the 1909 Seattle World’s Fair, known as the Alaska Yukon Pacific Expo (AYPE). He recalls how, orphaned, he arrived in Seattle from China in 1902 at the age of five. In 1909 he was offered as the prize in one of the daily raffles at the fair. Hoping to be adopted into a family, Ernest learns that the winning sponsor is the madam of an infamous brothel, The Tenderloin, where Ernest ends up as the house boy. Surprisingly, his life significantly changes for the better through the friendships he makes at The Tenderloin, specifically his friendships with Fahn and Maisie. One of those two becomes his wife, Gracie, but we don’t find out which one it is until well into the story. The story smoothly moves back and forth from the present (1962) to the past, slowly letting us witness Ernest’s life story unfold. In the present, Gracie is now ill and losing her memories of her forty-plus years together with Ernest. Their journalist daughter, Juju, is the catalyst who triggers Gracie’s memories and we start to hear her perspective on those years.

There is a lot of Seattle history provided in the novel. In addition to the description of the AYPE, Love and Other Consolation Prizes provides the historical background about how prostitution was viewed in Seattle in the early 1900s and the forces that opposed the Red Light district and the assorted vices that were legally permitted there.

I found Love and Other Consolation Prizes to be a heartfelt and enjoyable read. The characters are very engaging and easy to relate to. Both Fahn and Maisie are strong, female protagonists and they serve as the perfect foil for Ernest’s more naïve character. Both a coming-of-age story and a romance. Well worth the read.

I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Professional Reader

We all have things we would rather stay hidden, and Ernest Young is no exception. He and Gracie had worked to overcome their past, bought a home, and raised two daughters, Juju and Hanny. Gracie’s memory loss and chronic illness was keeping them apart, with Gracie living at Juju’s home while Ernest rented a room at The Publix in Seattle’s Chinatown. The buildup to the 1962 World’s Fair was fierce, with stories of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in 1909 in all the papers. Juju, a local reporter, is told about a boy being raffled off, and asked Ernest about it. Ernest admits to being that boy, but is hesitant about revealing too much of his history, recognizing that Gracie may not want her story told.

The storyline alternates between the early 1900s and 1962, detailing Ernest’s earliest memories of waiting in the cemetery for his “uncle” to pick him up and take him to America. He meets a girl several years older, called Fahn, on the ship, but when they reach Seattle, the children are scattered, and Ernest is sent to a boarding school. His eventual rebellion is taken badly by his benefactor, Mrs. Irving, who then raffles him off as a prize at the Expo. The winning ticket is held by Madam Flora, the proprietor of the best sporting house in Seattle, and Ernest becomes her houseboy, where he meets up with Fahn again. Ernest, Fahn, and Maisie, Madam Flora’s younger sister, become close friends, but their friendship is torn apart when Maisie “comes of age” and the sporting house is shut down by the city.

Though I joke about the pioneers being considerably tougher than the people of today (myself included), this book clearly showed what your life might be like if you were unfortunate enough to be on your own in the early 1900s, with no money and limited job prospects. I love historical fiction, and this book, based on a true story, was fascinating, and I enjoyed every word.

I really enjoyed this book that was inspired by a true story involving an orphaned half-Chinese boy. I've always been drawn to stories involving orphans and their unique perspectives on life. One of the settings is the World's Fair in Seattle and I can't resist anything involving ferris wheels and space needles!

Ernest Young clings to his mother's hairpin, the only remnant he has to remind him of his mother who has given him away. He endures a horrific boat ride to America where he finds himself bounced from the poor house to a boarding school and eventually "the prize" in a raffle at the World's Fair. It sounds so sad and it is, but Ernest is someone who makes lemonade out of lemons (and he has plenty of lemons).

Thanks to Random House Books and Ballantine Publishing for the opportunity to read Love and Other Consolation Prizes, by Jamie Ford. As our main character, Ernest, tells his daughter, JuJu, "Parents always have a story that their children don't really know....I guess this is mine". His story leads us into the world of immigration, the World's Fair, suffragettes, brothels, and the courage and strength people had to survive during this time period. The characters have such strength and strong love for each other and the reader is carried away in the pathways of their lives. I really enjoyed this book.

I knew almost from the first page that this was going to be a very special book and it was. The author really makes you feel that you are actually there and can almost taste, smell or feel the various events. It is the rather strange story of a young half Chinese boy who comes from the poverty and starvation of China at the turn of the century to the US. He becomes the prize at a raffle at the 1909 Seattle World's fair and the story continues with his life as the Seattle World's Fair returns in 1962 as he is dealing with a wife with dementia and a life that has turned out quite differently than he might have hoped or wished for as a very young boy arriving from such an alien environment. Years later he can only remember his mother by her sweet smell - watermelon, mango and Bayberry, although he only learned years later that this is the scent of starvation. She sent him away to try to save him and indeed, he did survive. The story goes back and forth in time from a very different Seattle where he met another survivor of the same children's boat from China working in the same very elegant brothel to the Seattle of the later World's fair and all of Ernest's hopes, dreams, regrets and truths, many which he is reluctant to reveal to his children as he tells his tale. It is also the story of his wife Gracie, now suffering with significant dementia, and of her truths that should also be shared. It is also the story of Maisie, the young daughter of the woman who won Ernest at the early World's fair. It is a lovely story that really tells the tale of a very different Seattle not just in time but in feeling and I felt like I really learned a lot but also grew to love the three main characters. This is a very special book and I found myself wishing it would not end.

It actually evolves into a wonderful, very romantic story about love and choices. Choices can be very simple ones or very complex, difficult ones but often we can't begin to imagine just how these decisions can affect our lives. A seemingly tiny choice can occasionally have huge implications. It is also a story of memories hidden from the world and sometimes even from ourselves and secrets in general, sometimes kept from those we love the most. Every single line seems honest and sincere. This is a very interesting, compelling book.

This is a very well written book that held just the right amount of mystery amongst the incredible history it highlighted. It definitely pulls at your heart strings and leaves you rooting for young Ernest. I highly enjoyed this book and how it's portrayal came full circle.

This is the story of Ernest, an orphan from China and his path to the United States. The story takes the reader from age 8 to old age. The story starts in China with his mother murdering his young sister and giving him to a man to be put on a boat to America. The struggles on the boat lead to more struggles in his young life as an orphan in Seattle in the early 1900's. At the first Seattle World's Fair he is auctioned off to a madam and interestingly this is the first real home he has known. From the "upstairs" girls to the scullery maids, Ernest makes his way growing up to be a caring, compassionate husband and father.

Another fantastic read from Jamie Ford! I have read all of his books and have not been disappointed. Mr. Ford does an excellent job developing his characters and the time and place the story is set. The story begins with Earnest in the early 1900s and alternates between past and present as he tells his daughter, Juju his tragic young life as a half Chinese orphan who is auctioned off at the 1909 World Fair in Seattle. The World Fair is happening again in Seattle in 1962 and brings back many memories for Earnest as his wife battles memory loss. This is a beautifully written historical novel which transports you to that time in history as if you were there with Earnest. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Well written, exciting story. Loved the book! I smell a best seller. Great for book clubs, too.

This was a really great book! I loved the characters, I loved how knowledgeable the author is about the time period. The details in the writing is really good!