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Julie’s Review: The Bowl with Gold Seams by Ellen Prentiss Campbell
The Bowl with Gold Seams
written by Ellen Prentiss Campbell
published by Apprentice House Press, 2016
find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Did I enjoy this book: Immensely. I couldn’t put it down. As a fan of historical fiction, I found it especially enjoyable reading a novel based on someplace I’ve been. Before this book I was unaware that the Bedford Springs Hotel in southern Pennsylvania was a detainment center for the Japanese ambassador to Berlin and his staff in 1945. The novel tells the story of Hazel Shaw, a young woman working at the hotel among the Japanese detainees.
GOLDEN LINES
“Even that which is broken is beautiful.”
Would I recommend it: Absolutely. I found the character development and plot impressive for a mere 213-page novel.
About the book – from Goodreads: Ellen Prentiss Campbell’s debut novel was inspired by an unusual chapter in the history of the Bedford Springs Hotel in Pennsylvania. During the summer of 1945, the State Department selected the resort to serve as the detainment center for the Japanese ambassador to Berlin, his staff, and their families.
The novel tells Hazel Shaw’s story of unexpected personal transformation — both as a young woman working at the hotel among the Japanese, and the further story of the reverberating lifelong consequences of that experience. The final events of the war challenge Hazel’s beliefs about enemies and friends, victory and defeat, love and loyalty. In the ensuing years she remains haunted by memories. Long after the end of the war, an unexpected encounter causes Hazel to return to the hotel and she must confront her past, come to terms with her present life, and determine her future.
