A beautiful story of love in an unlikely place, Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford had me entranced from the beginning.
The story takes place in two eras in a man's life and both are in years of the Seattle World's Fair: 1909 and 1962. In 1909, Ernest Young is a young boy who has had a hard life in his short twelve years. Being the child of a Chinese mother and Caucasian missionary father, Ernest is sold and shipped to America with other Chinese children. Once in America he becomes a charity student at a boarding school and realizes his dream of belonging and having a family is quickly slipping away.
When Ernest gets a chance to go to the 1909 World's Fair he is beside himself. This is a once in a lifetime event! Every day there is a huge raffle and Ernest is astonished to find out that the day he goes is the day that a person is going to be raffled off, and that someone is him - a healthy, young boy. The owner of the winning ticket is a madam of a high-class brothel. Ernest finds himself in an unknown world, in a brothel, surrounded by some colorful characters that you can't help but fall in love with, working as a houseboy.
Interwoven with Ernest's memories are his current life. In 1962 he is married to a woman who doesn't remember him and the father of two daughters, one of which who is trying to find out the truth about Ernest's past. The story see-saws back and forth between past and present and it is a wonderful balance. Your heart goes out to all of the characters and the story itself and the writing of certain scenes in the story were very tastefully done.
This was a wonderful read and one that I am glad I took a chance on. Love and friendship, despite your circumstances, can conquer all.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
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