“Love and Other Consolation Prizes” by Jamie Ford – Raffled into a Pilgrimage

Jamie Ford has established himself as one of the few authors out there willing to tackle the uncomfortable subject of the oppressed existence led by many Asian-Americans during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In Love and Other Consolation Prizes he returns to his forte once again, telling the story of a young Chinese boy who is first sold by his mother as a means of getting him a better life, and then auctioned off to the madam of a brothel in the red light district.

Curiously enough, it's where the boy begins to form his first semblance of an actual family and is embarked on a lifelong journey few could have ever predicted.

Jamie Ford Digs up Forgotten History

America's history may be relatively short when compared to most other countries in the world, but it is already full of small pockets in danger of being forgotten by our records.

While some would argue it best to sweep things under the rug, I feel most of us agree a country should own up to its history, no matter how grim it might be, so the same errors do not repeat themselves.

In an attempt to remind us of the tragedies we've forgotten, some authors have taken it upon themselves to shine light on subjects hitting close to home, and it's precisely what Jamie Ford did with his numerous writings centred on Asian-Americans during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Song of Willow Frost.

We'll be exploring another one of his acclaimed novels revolving around the subject, titled Love and Other Consolation Prizes , centred on a Chinese boy with a most peculiar destiny.

The story begins in a rather grim disposition as the young Chinese boy, Yung Kun-ai, is sold by his mother in an attempt to provide him a better life in America, away from the famine ravaging their homeland. The young boy barely makes it to the shores of Seattle, and after a while lands in the hands of Mrs. Irvine, his benefactress.

It doesn't take long for her to dislike the boy and submits him as the prize of the daily raffle in Seattle's first World Fair. The winner of the competition turns out to be Madame Flora, the owner of a brothel in the red light district.

Curiously enough, this new home proves to be the most welcoming he's had so far, and soon the semblance of a family begins to form as he befriends Maisie, the Madame's daughter, and Fahn, a Japanese girl who was with him on the boat years ago, now working as a servant.

The three of them form a bond lasting a lifetime, one which will carry them through numerous travails and forge them into the most special of human beings.

There is another part to the story, and it jumps fifty years in the future as Ernest Young (formerly known as Yung Kun-ai, the Chinese boy) cares for his ailing wife, helping her come to terms with her life choices. At the same time, he does his best to keep his family secrets buried from their two daughters.

A Study Beneath the Veneer of Appearances

It's difficult to decide on an aspect to begin discussing in this story, but I feel ultimately, at the centre of this literary stage lies the development of the characters and the ever-present contrast between how they are perceived by the world and how they truly are inside.

The rather varied cast is presented to us in magnificent detail and we have to chance to become acquainted with the majority of them to an intimate degree.

More often than not, it seems as if Ford tries to make a point of creating characters whose appearances are the complete opposites of their inner selves.

The most prominent example is Madame Flora, a brothel owner everyone gives the evil eye to, but she turns out to be a much better friend for our protagonist than anyone at this stage of his short life.

However, it's not to say the characters are all dressed black and white and have no further depth; on the contrary, as we get to know them they become increasingly nuanced and it becomes apparent nobody is completely good or evil.

While we're on the topic of characters, I feel the protagonist trio is one of the more compelling I've seen in a little while. The chemistry between Yung, Fahn and Maisie is undeniable and the dynamics governing their tightly-knit group are quite interesting to observe.

They consistently evolve over the course of the story and it truly feels like they're being shaped by the events they endure as well as each others' influences.

There is also the mystery as to which of the two Yung married, and it's only revealed at the very end. While it does end up feeling somewhat secondary to the rest of the plot, it nevertheless adds a layer of interest.

A Time Lost Forevermore

With all the character-centric plot development happening, it's a bit easy to overlook the gargantuan effort Jamie Ford put into the creation of the setting.

Starting with the first Seattle World Fair, he tries to depict as complete a picture as possible of life in those times, constantly bombarding all of our senses and successfully transporting the reader into the story, so to speak.

Ultimately he ends up painting a wondrous tableau of a microcosm in time and space which is unfortunately getting overshadowed by all the tremendous events following shortly after, namely the two world wars.

While I certainly wasn't alive to witness those times, the writings feel extremely believable and accurate; it really shows he did all the research humanly possible.

As those of you acquainted with Jamie Ford might come to expect, this novel remains in part about Chinese-American history, the lives they led in those times, the challenges and injustices they had to face, the tremendous odds they were forced to overcome.

While it would be easy to take the low road and write about these tragic lives in an accusing manner, seeking to lay the blame on someone, Ford avoids it as adeptly as possible. He simply tries to present true history as it happened and let us be the judge of who is to blame.

The Final Verdict

Love and Other Consolation Prizes is certainly one of Jamie Ford's best works in my opinion, delivering an engrossing tale from start to finish populated with extremely memorable characters who will make you feel nostalgic for a time you've never been alive in.

It forces you to think, challenges your conceptions of people and what lies inside of them, all while capturing the grueling struggles of people from a time forgotten.

If you enjoy profound historical fiction touching on Asian-Americans, then I strongly recommend you add this book to your collection.

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Jamie Ford Personal site

Jamie Ford is an American writer who has gained much of his fame from his bestselling debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, earning the #1 Book Club Pick for Fall 2009/Winter 2010 by the American Booksellers Association.

According to the man himself, he is also working on a series for young adults, something his agent doesn’t even know yet (provided he did not read his website).