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Jamie Ford

ジェイミー・フォード

Jeimī Fōdo

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1968-07-09 （Eureka, California, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Eureka, California → Ashland, Oregon → Port Orchard, Washington → Seattle, Washington → Montana (residence)

Career

Occupations
Author
Active Years
2009-

Awards

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Adult Fiction)
2010
Work: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Category: Adult Fiction
Organization: American Library Association (Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association category)
Result: winner
Langum Prize (Historical Fiction)
2009
Work: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Category: Historical Fiction
Organization: Langum Prize organization
Result: runner-up
ArtsFund Outstanding Contribution to the Arts
2018
Organization: ArtsFund
Result: 受賞
New York Times Bestseller (extended run)
2009
Work: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Organization: The New York Times
Result: 130週間掲載

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2009 Literary fiction / Historical fiction

Set in Seattle around World War II and decades later, the novel alternates between two periods in Henry Lee's life, exploring racism toward Chinese- and Japanese-Americans, father–son relationships, and memory.

familymemoryrace and discriminationreconciliation
Translations
  • translated into 35 languages

Songs of Willow Frost

2013 Historical fiction

Told from the perspectives of a twelve-year-old orphan William and his mother, the novel is set in Seattle's Chinatown in the 1920s–30s and interweaves local history and references to historical figures.

orphanhood and familyurban historymother–child bond

Love and Other Consolation Prizes

2017 Historical fiction

Set against the 1909 Seattle World's Fair, the novel imagines the life of a boy auctioned at the fair, tracing family, love, and community across his life.

identityfamily formationurban history

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

2022 Historical / Speculative fiction

Beginning with Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman in America, the novel follows her descendants to 2043 in a generational story that addresses immigration, gender, embodiment, and epigenetic memory.

immigration historygendergenerational legacy

Bibliography

  • Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (2009)
  • Songs of Willow Frost (2013)
  • Love and Other Consolation Prizes (2017)
  • The Many Daughters of Afong Moy (2022)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical, descriptive proseinterweaving historical context with personal memory
Recurring Motifs
family and father–son dynamicsmemory and reconciliation with the pastimmigrant experience and cultural identity

Legacy

Jamie Ford is widely known for novels that illuminate Chinese-American history and family stories; his debut was a long-running bestseller and won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. His work has contributed to renewed interest in neighborhood histories and memories of Japantown and Chinatown communities.

Quotes

  • "A tender and satisfying novel... will make you think. And, more importantly, it will make you feel."
    Source: Garth Stein — comment on Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (2009)

Trivia

  • Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet spent 130 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
  • In 2012 he purchased Harlan Ellison's first typewriter, a 1938 Remington Wireless Portable.
  • He married Leesha Procopio on August 8, 2008 at 8:08 p.m.; the number eight is considered lucky in Chinese culture.