Jamie

Ford

Bestselling Historical Novelist

Asian/Pacific American Award

Travels from: Great Falls, MT

“We absolutely loved working with Jamie Ford. He hit the sweet spot of our audience: he was smart, funny and engaging…we couldn’t have asked for a better guest author.” — Ridgewood Library

Jamie Ford is a Northwest author most widely known for his bestselling Seattle-based novels. His debut, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list, won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award, the Pacific Northwest Book Award, and the Langum Prize for Historical Fiction. Hotel was named the #1 Book Club pick in 2010 by the American Bookseller Association and is now read widely in schools all across the country. This multi-cultural tale was adapted by Book-It Repertory Theatre, and has recently been optioned for a stage musical, and also for film, with George Takei serving as Executive Producer.

Jamie’s second book, Songs of Willow Frost, was also a national bestseller. His third novel set in Seattle, Love and Other Consolations Prizes, was published in 2017 and Library Journal named it one of the Best Historical Fiction Novels of 2017.

Jamie’s most recent novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick.

An award-winning short-story writer, his work has been published in multiple anthologies, from Asian-themed steampunk set in Seattle in the Apocalypse Triptych, to stories exploring the universe of masked marvels and caped crusaders from an Asian American perspective in Secret Identities: The first Asian American Superhero Anthology, and Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology. His essays on race, identity, love, heroes, and complex families have been published nationwide and his work has been translated into 35 languages. He says he’s holding out for Klingon, because that’s when you know you’ve made it.

Jamie is the great-grandson of Nevada mining pioneer, Min Chung, who emigrated from Hoiping, China to San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western name “Ford,” thus confusing countless generations.

Jamie's Featured Titles

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

Atria |

August 2, 2022

Novel

The New York Times bestselling author of the “mesmerizing and evocative” (Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants) Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet returns with a powerful exploration of the love that binds one family across the generations.

Dorothy Moy breaks her own heart for a living.

As Washington’s former poet laureate, that’s how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art. But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors, Dorothy believes the past has truly come to haunt her. Fearing that her child is predestined to endure the same debilitating depression that has marked her own life, Dorothy seeks radical help.

Through an experimental treatment designed to mitigate inherited trauma, Dorothy intimately connects with past generations of women in her family: Faye Moy, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers; Zoe Moy, a student in England at a famous school with no rules; Lai King Moy, a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic; Greta Moy, a tech executive with a unique dating app; and Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America.

As painful recollections affect her present life, Dorothy discovers that trauma isn’t the only thing she’s inherited. A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories. Dorothy endeavors to break the cycle of pain and abandonment, to finally find peace for her daughter, and gain the love that has long been waiting, knowing she may pay the ultimate price.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage, Bestseller, BIPOC Representation, Book Club & Library Favorites, Community Reads, Environmental Concerns, Fantasy, Speculative & Science Fiction, Fiction, Grief & Loss, Historical Fiction, Immigrant & Refugee Perspectives, Mental Health & Overcoming Trauma

Love and Other Consolation Prizes

Ballantine Books |

September 12, 2017

Novel

From the bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet comes a powerful novel, inspired by a true story, about a boy whose life is transformed at Seattle’s epic 1909 World’s Fair.

“An evocative, heartfelt, beautifully crafted story that shines a light on a fascinating, tragic bit of forgotten history.”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale

For twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a charity student at a boarding school, the chance to go to the World’s Fair feels like a gift. But only once he’s there, amid the exotic exhibits, fireworks, and Ferris wheels, does he discover that he is the one who is actually the prize. The half-Chinese orphan is astounded to learn he will be raffled off—a healthy boy “to a good home.”

The winning ticket belongs to the flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel, famous for educating her girls. There, Ernest becomes the new houseboy and befriends Maisie, the madam’s precocious daughter, and a bold scullery maid named Fahn. Their friendship and affection form the first real family Ernest has ever known—and against all odds, this new sporting life gives him the sense of home he’s always desired.

But as the grande dame succumbs to an occupational hazard and their world of finery begins to crumble, all three must grapple with hope, ambition, and first love.

Fifty years later, in the shadow of Seattle’s second World’s Fair, Ernest struggles to help his ailing wife reconcile who she once was with who she wanted to be, while trying to keep family secrets hidden from their grown-up daughters.

Against a rich backdrop of post-Victorian vice, suffrage, and celebration, Love and Other Consolations is an enchanting tale about innocence and devotion—in a world where everything, and everyone, is for sale.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage, BIPOC Representation, Book Club & Library Favorites, Community Reads, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Fiction, Grief & Loss, Historical Fiction, Immigrant & Refugee Perspectives, Mental Health & Overcoming Trauma, Youth Advocacy

Songs of Willow Frost

Ballantine Books |

September 10, 2013

Novel

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From Jamie Ford, author of the beloved Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, comes a much-anticipated second novel. Set against the backdrop of Depression-era Seattle, Songs of Willow Frost is a powerful tale of two souls—a boy with dreams for his future and a woman escaping her haunted past—both seeking love, hope, and forgiveness.

Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. On his birthday—or rather, the day the nuns designate as his birthday—William and the other orphans are taken to the historical Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song.

Determined to find Willow and prove that his mother is still alive, William escapes from Sacred Heart with his friend Charlotte. The pair navigate the streets of Seattle, where they must not only survive but confront the mysteries of William’s past and his connection to the exotic film star. The story of Willow Frost, however, is far more complicated than the Hollywood fantasy William sees onscreen.

Shifting between the Great Depression and the 1920s, Songs of Willow Frost takes readers on an emotional journey of discovery. Jamie Ford’s sweeping novel will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for the comforts of family and a place to call home.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage, BIPOC Representation, Book Club & Library Favorites, Disability Awareness, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Immigrant & Refugee Perspectives, Mental Health & Overcoming Trauma, Youth Advocacy

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Ballantine Books |

October 6, 2009

Novel

In the opening pages of Jamie Ford’s stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.

This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholarshipping” at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship–and innocent love–that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.

Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage, BIPOC Representation, Book Club & Library Favorites, Campus Reads, Civil Discourse & Social Justice, Community Reads, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Fiction, Film & TV Adaptations, Grief & Loss, Historical Fiction, Immigrant & Refugee Perspectives, Kid-Lit: Young Adult, Mental Health & Overcoming Trauma

The History of a Love Story: Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Racebending: Adventures in a Bi-cultural World

The Social Responsibility of Historical Fiction

Misadventures in a Bicultural World

Bestselling author, Jamie Ford, was born in the demilitarized zone between two cultures, that of his father, a Chinese American, whose family settled in the west in 1865, and his mother, a Mayflower descendant, born and raised in rural Arkansas. As a child he grew up with one foot firmly planted in two distinct worlds, yet never completely fitting into either.

In this presentation Jamie shares his colorful family history and his unique perspective on race, borders, and the future of diversity. He’ll discuss whitewashing in Hollywood, as well as explore the types of systemic racism that affected his Asian family, like redlining, anti-miscegenation laws, and why the 14th Amendment is his favorite amendment.

An Evening with Jamie Ford

“Jamie was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was responsive and enthusiastic throughout the process and he showed up to his presentation on time ready to hit the ground running. He seemed genuinely thrilled to be with our community, and he patiently and warmly connected with everyone who stayed to get their books signed after his talk. I especially appreciated his use of humor during his talk because it immediately grabbed the audience’s attention and kept them rapt the whole time.” – Beaverton City Library, 2024

“Jamie Ford’s presentation for our students was a spectacular event. He engaged the students with his personality, his humor, his visuals, and his words. He was fully present to his audience in conversing with individuals, patiently signing books, and posing for pictures. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a great read, and listening to the author prompted us to think even more deeply about the issues of multiculturalism and epigenetics. – Molloy University, 2023

“Jamie Ford is an excellent speaker, gifted with humor, humility, empathy, and insight. You can hear the passion he has for writing and research, and the compassion he holds for his characters and readers, throughout his discussion. He was kind to our library staff and congenial to his many fans in the Q&A as well as the long book signing line.” – Henrico Library, 2023

“Jamie’s warmth and humor created an engaging and memorable event for our virtual audience. His style and tone were perfectly matched with a public library audience, and his thoughtful, patient answers during the Q&A created a connected experience which can be rare in a virtual program. He was an absolute pleasure to host. The feedback the audience shared afterwards included words like wonderful, charming, favorite, and several of “I can’t wait to read the rest of his books!” – Baltimore Public Library, 2023

“We wish they could all be like Jamie Ford.” A direct quote from a book club member who attends multiple author engagements throughout the East Coast. Jamie Ford is a genuine soul; gracious, punctual, communicative, with a great sense of humor. He even reacts to social media messages and shares content. Jamie Ford has gained a new following here in our Pennsylvania town and we look forward to seeing him again.” – Beaver County Library, 2022

“Jamie is such a funny and engaging speaker. He had the audience in stitches with his stories. He is so easy going and was a joy to work with. I couldn’t have asked for a better presenter.” – Solano Library, 2022

“We’ve run our annual event for 16 years now and Jamie was one of the best speakers we’ve had come to our library. He was very engaging with the crowd and had them laughing at many of the different stories he told. Would highly recommend!” – Pollard Library Foundation, 2022

Timberlane High School, 2022
“Our school district and community was incredibly fortunate to have the honor of Jamie Ford share his thoughtful messaging during AAPI Heritage Month. Jamie Ford engaged the audience with his reflective approach to writing fiction, the significance and social responsibility of remembering history, as well as his incredibly amusing anecdotes and life experiences. His knowledge, professionalism, flexibility, honesty, and sense of humor certainly made an impact with our students and community members.”

Lake Forest Reads, 2021
“We were so thrilled to host Jamie last night. He was so friendly and open to all of the questions and comments. I was impressed how thoughtfully he answered each question and the care that he took to get at the heart of the questions. He was good humored and was so willing to stay and answer questions. I have already received many compliments on the evening. We all enjoyed hearing about Jamie’s upcoming projects and how the planning for those works. Also the personal aspects of the story, that writing this book helped Jamie feel closer to his parents.”

Monroe One Book, One Community, 2018
“Our 2018 One Book program here in Monroe has been one of our most successful with guest Jamie Ford’s talk as the highlight. Jamie was very well received by students, faculty and the community at large. He provided wonderful insights about his writing career to students and was readily at ease in answering their many questions. In the evening Jami’s presentation was really engaging. The audience totally enjoyed his humorous anecdotes about the life of a best-selling author whose book has now become “homework” Jamie was very easy going and I really appreciated his willingness to comply with any schedule we put together. Jamie’s conversation with the students was just wonderful. He was so open and generous with his thoughts and impressions. Thank you for bringing him to campus—he was terrific! ”

Grosse Pointe Library, Authors to the Pointe Program
“I should preface this testimonial by saying that when I first began looking into hosting Jamie Ford, I told the agent that if she could get him for my event, I would do cartwheels down the main street of my town. THE HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET is one of my favorite books, which is no small declaration from a librarian, and it is perennially popular with our patrons and their book club. I also thoroughly enjoyed SONGS OF WILLOW FROST, so when I saw that Jamie’s newest book would be released just a couple of months before our third annual Authors to The Pointe luncheon, and that he was available and interested in speaking at the event, I was thrilled, to put it mildly. Sometimes an author’s book personality is far removed from his or her real-life personality, but having followed Jamie on social media, I gathered that would not be the case with him. He was every bit as gracious, charming, witty, and generally wonderful as I had hoped. The feedback from our attendees was uniformly glowing, and those of us on staff who shared the table with him at lunch were frankly smitten. Our bookseller at the event sold out of HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, and very nearly sold out of LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES. In the months since our event, many of my library patrons – both those who had read his other books and those who were new to him at that luncheon – have made a point of reaching out to me to tell me how much they enjoyed LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES. I cannot think of any audience of readers who would not be delighted by both Jamie’s books and presentations. ”

Bloomington Reads
“Jamie was a great choice. He was very kind, open, friendly, and adaptable. He welcomed all inquiries graciously. It was fun to learn more about how he developed his book.”

Seattle Prepatory School
“Jamie was great—the kids and faculty raved about his talk afterward, and he was warm and engaging with everyone he spoke with. We were so fortunate to have him visit, and I’d highly recommend him to any high school.”

Kentucky Book Fair
“Jamie was a headliner at the 2017 Kentucky Book Fair. From the very beginning, Jamie was enthusiastic, cooperative, and engaged. He guested on our podcast, and used his social media to generate excitement amongst his fans about his appearance. He even helped me choose the menu for his Pacific Northwest-themed luncheon event! On the day of the event, Jamie arrived on time and ready to talk to patrons and sign books. His first event was our Literary Luncheon, which was sponsored by a very prestigious private college and attended by readers who know and love Jamie, and those who wanted to check him out for the first time. While waiting for the event to begin, Jamie talked with every volunteer and staff member working the luncheon, and made a special effort to talk with a 13-year old writer, the youngest author to participate in the Book Fair. His talk captivated the audience – including the sponsor. He took time to speak with every attendee and signed everyone’s books. He was an asset to the event, and is welcome back to Kentucky anytime he likes!”

Tuckahoe Women’s Club
“The Tuckahoe Woman’s Club had the good fortune to host Jamie Ford in October of 2017. Jamie charmed the 400 members with his talk Love and Other Consolation Prizes. Members comments included: Entertaining,Down to earth, Extremely interesting, Excellent, Great fun, Very personable, Wonderfully engaging…And I could go on but I think you get the idea. Our Board gave him high ratings. We highly recommend him for any group.”

Poughkeepsie Library
“Jamie is a relaxed, engaging speaker who presents his writing with humor, some self-deprecation, and kindness. I would highly recommend him.”

Lewis & Clark Library Foundation
“Jamie was the ideal speaker for our annual Stephen Ambrose Memorial Lecture in 2018. The Library Foundation partnered with the Montana Human Rights Network, and Humanities Montana to host a crowd of more than 400 Helenans to hear Jamie’s riveting story and good humor. Jamie created a lecture that was perfect for our theme of Transforming Hate. His topic Racebending was perfectly tailored for the event. His story is thoughtfully told with humor and well-researched facts. We should have Jamie speak every year!”

Oregon Episcopal School
“Jamie Ford was the ideal speaker. He was engaging and honest, and he brought enthusiasm and energy both to smaller, more intimate classroom settings he attended as well as to the large assembly where he spoke. He clearly understood his audiences and what would hold their interest. He really knows kids and what they care about, and all the students he spoke to were hanging on his every word. Most importantly, not only was he entertaining, Mr. Ford delivered an important message for middle school students that resonated with everyone present, and he left many of them feeling inspired, empowered, and appreciated. I would ask Mr. Ford back to our school in a heartbeat.”

Vernon Area Reads
“We hosted Jamie Ford for a community read of LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES. Working with Jamie was a delight. His presentation was thoughtful, creative, and humorous. Our audience was completely charmed by him. Jamie is a seasoned public speaker and provided excellent content along with great personality.”

Central Michigan University
“Jamie Ford’s visit to our campus was delightful and compelling. He engaged warmly and honestly with students about human rights, politics, ethics, and creative writing. His excellent sense of humor and openness welcomed students, faculty, staff, and community members from all around to talk and think about critical questions of our history and contemporary world.”

Ridgewood Library Luncheon
“We absolutely loved working with Jamie Ford. He hit the sweet spot of our audience: he was smart, funny and engaging…we couldn’t have asked for a better guest author.”

Schlow County Library
“Jamie Ford delivers an enthusiastic and engaging program. His books are wonderful and have a dedicated following. His stories about his inspiration, not to mention his research methods, are endearing and memorable. We’d love to have Jamie visit again!”

Nashua Reads
“Jamie Ford was the featured guest for Beyond the Book, a visit from the author of our One City, One book title. Our patrons eagerly anticipate this annual event, and he did not disappoint. His answers to our interviewer’s questions were honest and came from the heart. The personal experiences he shared enriched our understanding of his inspirations for HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET. In spite of being held virtually this year, between Zoom attendance and views of the recorded event, we exceeded our usual live attendance!”

Drexel University
“Jamie Ford was the visiting author for our Drexel MFA craft residency for first year students. He exceeded expectations in every way. He was so generous with his time and effort. Jamie’s presentations were compelling, and he had lots of advice — both career and craft — that will be useful to our students. As program director, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to have Jamie back again. One of our students said that Jamie really did a great job making students feel seen, heard and appreciated. Another student said afterwards that it felt like we were all sitting around a living room together, with Jamie there on the couch with us. Even though we were meeting remotely, it was a warm, intimate experience that left everyone inspired.”

Jamie’s Upcoming Events

Honors, Awards & Recognition

New York Times Bestseller
#1 Book Club Pick, American Booksellers Association
Today Show – Read With Jenna Pick
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Goodreads Choice Awards, Best Fiction, Finalist
Goodreads Choice Awards, Best Historical Fiction, Finalist
IndieBound NEXT List
Barnes & Noble Book Club
Costco Book Club Selection
Target Bookmarked Club Pick
International Bestseller – Norway, Italy, China
Library Journal’s Best Books
Pacific Northwest Book Award
Washington State Book Award, finalist
Montana Book Award
High Plains Book Award, finalist
Langum Prize for Historical Fiction, Finalist
Historian of the Year, Historical Hotels of America
ArtsFund Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts
Chosen for World Book Night, US – 50,000 copies of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet were given away in underserved communities. All royalties waved.
Fiction Judge for the National Book Awards
Fellowships: Ragdale, Yaddo, UCROSS