Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet begins in 1986 outside the Panama Hotel in Seattle where the belongings of Japanese families sent to internment camps during World War II have been discovered.

The novel tells the story of first generation Chinese American Henry Lee and Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student who forge an unlikely friendship amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids of the 1940s.

Ford comes to campus to talk about his book at 12:30 p.m., February 27, in the Black Box Theatre. The lecture is free and open to the public.

An award-winning short-story writer and New York Times bestselling author, Ford is an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers and a survivor of Orson Card’s Literary Boot Camp.

Ford grew up near Seattle’s Chinatown. He is the great grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who immigrated from Kaiping, China, to San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western name “Ford.”

"This novel brings to life a terribly unjust time in our nation’s history — the internment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II,” said Ksenia Koon, Arts, Culture and Civic Engagement Director at the college. “It serves as a reminder of the importance of Edmonds Community College’s values of inclusion and respect. We are honored to welcome author Jamie Ford to our campus to discuss this inspirational novel with our students and community."

For Edmonds Community College students, the book read is also a scholarship opportunity. Students who read the book and submit a project inspired by it may apply for a scholarship that covers spring quarter tuition.

The Edmonds Community College Foundation funds three Edmonds CC Community Read scholarships.

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., Wed., Jan. 16. More information on the scholarships: www.edcc.edu/edmondsccread.

This is the sixth year of the Edmonds CC Community Read program. Books have included:

The Big Burn (2009) by Timothy Egan, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2009) by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer; Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World (2007) by Dan Koeppel; Middle Passage (1998) by Charles Johnson; and Zaatar Days, Henna Nights, Adventures, Dreams and Destinations Across the Middle East (2007) by Maliha Masood.

Edmonds Community College Foundation | www.edcc.edu/foundation

Established in 1982, Edmonds Community College Foundation supports access, success, and excellence for students, faculty, and staff at Edmonds Community College. www.edcc.edu/foundation

Edmonds Community College's Arts Culture and Civic Engagement Initiative | www.edcc.edu/artsandculture

In 2013, the Arts, Culture, and Civic Engagement (ACCE) initiative celebrates its 10th anniversary at Edmonds CC.

ACCE works across campus and in the larger community to create, support, coordinate, and promote a diverse range of events, enriching the lives of our students and the people of South Snohomish County.

In its 10th year, ACCE continues its valuable work by assisting in over 30 campus and community events.