My Rating: 5 stars
When I finished reading Jamie Ford’s newest novel Love
and Other Consolation Prizes, the first words that came into my mind
were “heartbreaking” and “heartwarming.” I felt both emotions strongly
throughout the time I was immersed in the story of Ernest Young, an elderly man
in his 60s when the story begins in 1962, and his beloved wife Gracie, who is
suffering from memory loss and barely remembers who her husband is. As Ernest stands outside the gates of Seattle’s
newest world’s fair, the Century 21 Expo, his memories flow back to the city’s
very first world’s fair, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYP), back in
1909 – a day that changed his life forever.
That was the day that, at 12 years old, he was “auctioned off” at the
fair, given away as the grand prize in a raffle, technically for the second time. Prior to that, at 5 years old, when he was
still a little boy named Yung Kun-ai living in poverty with his mother in
China, he was sent away with an “uncle” who would supposedly take him to
America so he could live a better life free from starvation. Little Yung does make it to America and
eventually becomes a ward of the state of Washington, but not before suffering
various hardships and discrimination due to his status as a ‘half-breed’ – the
“bastard son of a white missionary and a
Chinese girl, he was an outcast in both of their worlds.” Later, he is taken in by Madam Flora, the
“winner” of the raffle at the 1909 world’s fair, who also happens to be the
owner of a notorious brothel named the Tenderloin, located in the red-light
district in the seediest part of town.
Ernest becomes a houseboy helping out with various chores at the brothel
and it is there that he meets Maisie, the secret daughter of Madam Flora, and
Fahn, a young Japanese maid who works in the kitchen -- together with the other
women who live and work at the Tenderloin, they become the first real “family”
– albeit an unconventional one – that Ernest ever had.
By now, I believe most already know that this story was
inspired by a real event – the raffle that truly did take place in real-life,
at the 1909 AYP World’s Fair where an infant boy, also named Ernest, was put up
as the “grand prize”. That raffle did
not result in a winner and it is not known what eventually happened to the
infant boy, but with the seed of that event, Ford turns it into a story that
imagines what might have happened to that boy, with the difference being that
the Ernest in Ford’s story is a 12-year-old boy rather than an infant. Ford also incorporates some of his own
heritage into his stories, as anyone who is familiar with Ford’s background
will probably know that he is also of mixed-race, with a Chinese father and an “adopted”
American last name (Ford) that came about when his 100% Chinese great-grandfather
decided to adopt the name William Ford when he immigrated to America back in
the late 1800s. I love the personal touch
that Ford incorporates into his stories and the fact that he pays tribute to
his heritage, all done in a way that is seamless yet meaningful.
There was so much to love about this book, as it truly combined
the best of everything I normally look for in historical fiction: a
well-written, captivating story that pulled me in from the start; a good dose
of historical content that was obviously thoroughly researched yet did not take
away from the flow of the fictional part of the story; a non-typical love story that tugged at the
heartstrings without diving into “overly
saccharine” territory; endearing
characters who, despite being deeply flawed, you can’t help but care about
personally and eventually grow to love; wonderful writing that transported me
to the time and place that the characters lived in and made the experience feel
like a personal one. Ford is known for crafting tender, moving stories that incorporate
aspects of hope and redemption and this was definitely the case here with
Ernest’s story and the love he had for both Maisie and Fahn. The ending to their story moved me to tears
yet it was not sad or depressing but rather a scene filled with hope that made
me feel good inside – I love the way the story came full circle, bookended by
the two world’s fairs that also played such important roles in Ernest’s story.
I also liked the fact that this wasn’t a typical love
story, but rather a story with substance that also dealt with important
societal issues – questions of right and wrong, moral versus immoral and who
has the right to judge. Also topics such
as equality, social justice, class issues, women’s rights, slavery, etc. – all heavy
subjects that were dealt with in a way that didn’t make light of their
existence but at the same time did not weigh down the story with gloom or
despair and also did not try to “preach” or attempt to provide any answers,
instead letting the reader go with the story and see where it leads.
This is my first time reading Jamie Ford and it certainly
won’t be my last! While I wait patiently
to get my hands on whatever Ford decides to write next, for sure I will be moving
up the two previous novels he wrote (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
and Songs
of Willow Frost) from my TBR so I can get to both of them before the
end of the year. If you haven’t read Love
and Consolation Prizes yet, all I can say is – READ IT! Wonderful book, highly recommended!
Received advance
reader’s copy from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.
