Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

Summary and Reviews of Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

Love and Other Consolation Prizes

A Novel

by Jamie Ford
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Sep 12, 2017, 320 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jun 2018, 336 pages
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About This Book

Book Summary

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.

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.

Overture
(1962)
4

Ernest Young stood outside the gates on opening day of the new world's fair, loitering in the shadow of the future. From his lonely vantage point in the VIP parking lot, he could see hundreds of happy people inside, virtually every name in Seattle's Social Blue Book, wearing their Sunday best on a cool Saturday afternoon. The gaily dressed men and women barely filled half of Memorial Stadium's raked seating, but they sat together, a waterfall of wool suits and polyester neckties, cut-­out dresses and ruffled pillbox hats, cascading down toward a bulwark of patriotic bunting. Ernest saw that the infield had been converted to a speedway for motorboats—­an elevated moat, surrounding a dry spot of land where the All-­City High School Band had assembled, along with dozens of reporters who milled about smoking cigarettes like lost sailors, marooned on an island of generators and television cameras. As the wind picked up, Ernest could smell ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. The story of Ernest starts off on a very sad note. Do you condemn Ernest's mother for her actions, and if so, what were her alternatives?
  2. The early suffrage movements in the U.S. all took place in what were regarded as frontier territories in the west. Why do you think the trends of suffrage and vice emerged at the same time, in the same places? (Like Wyoming, where women first got the vote in 1869).
  3. Those suffrage campaigns were often intertwined with religious movements. When did women's rights diverge somewhat from a religious underpinning and why?
  4. This book ultimately deals with prostitution. Is there an intersection between prostitution, personal agency, and feminism? Or are these mutually exclusive concepts?
  5. Caucasian ...
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!
  • award image

Reviews

BookBrowse Review

BookBrowse

Jamie Ford has written another winner. I was a fan after Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and he does not disappoint with his latest (Roe P). There is nothing I didn't like about this book: the setting, the eras, the depth of the descriptions of both the times and the characters, the entertaining story, the history lesson... all meshed together to make an excellent read. I wish it had lasted another 100 pages (Arden A). Readers are certainly going to be happy that Jamie Ford has given us another beautifully written novel (Judi R)...continued

Full Review Members Only (789 words)

(Reviewed by First Impressions Reviewers).

Media Reviews

Kirkus Reviews
Alternating between Ernest’s past and present, Ford captures the thrill of first kisses and the shock of revealing long-hidden affairs. A lively history of romance in the dens of iniquity, love despite vice.

Author Blurb Ann Hood, bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most
Only Jamie Ford could take a snippet of a true story about a child offered as a raffle prize at the 1909 Seattle World's Fair and spin it into a dazzling tale of love and family and ultimately hope. Love and Other Consolation Prizes" has the big generous heart Ford always brings to his novels and fans will rejoice in it.

Author Blurb Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train
In this sweeping, big-hearted novel — inspired by the true story of a 12-year-old boy raffled off as a prize at the 1909 Seattle World Fair — we encounter a cast of colorful characters, fascinating historical details, and (in typical Jamie Ford fashion) insights about morality, race, and culture that deepen and expand the story. With humor and pathos, Ford captures the texture and feeling of life in America in the early 20th century, exploring both the corrosive glitter of high society and the complicated pleasures, not to mention alliances, to be found at the bottom. Utterly charming.

Author Blurb Jessica Shattuck, author of The Women in the Castle
Ford is a master at shining light into dark, forgotten corners of history and revealing the most unexpected and relatable human threads. Love and Other Consolation Prizes is a beautiful and enthralling story of resilience and the many permutations of love.

Author Blurb Kathy Hepinstall, author of The Book of Polly
An epic and touching love story of a raffled-off orphan boy named Ernest and the two girls he loves — one for now, one forever. Set against the backdrop of old Seattle, Love and Other Consolation Prizes is a tenderly defiant testimony to the soaring value of a human being, even the most forgotten among us.

Author Blurb Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale
If your book club wants to fall in love with a novel, look no further than Love and Other Consolation Prizes. This is an evocative, heartfelt, beautifully crafted story that shines a light on a fascinating, tragic bit of forgotten history. Jamie Ford at his storytelling best.

Author Blurb Melanie Benjamin, New York Times Best Selling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue
A gripping story about the unpredictability of life—particularly the life of an immigrant; the poignancy of surviving; and above all, the incredible power of love to heal even the most shameful wounds. Jamie Ford has created a fascinating world, bookended by Seattle's two World Fairs, and peopled it with colorful, brave characters we care deeply about in this masterful job of storytelling.

Reader Reviews

Cathryn Conroy

Brilliant and Beautiful: This Is a Haunting and Tender Historical Novel with a Shocking Premise
This novel by Jamie Ford is both a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit, especially in children, and a testament to the power of love to transcend so many of life's deepest hurts and tragedies. Loosely based on something that actually ...   Read More
PEGGY S

Another winner from Jamie Ford
Another interesting novel about Seattle during the first World's Fair in Seattle. Amazing inside look at a brothel and well documented look at this time period.
Hulananni

Second as good as the first
I loved "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" so I was anxious to read Ford's second novel. I was not disappointed. His characters draw me in. I am sharing their pains and their loves. Great read.
Cassandra E. (Fort Myers, FL)

Love and other consolations
Awesome story. I had no problems when the story went back and forth in time frame. Mr. Ford did a wonderful jobin his research in that time era of Seattle. I know everyone will love this book.

Write your own review!

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Beyond the Book



170 Years of World's Fairs

Love and Other Consolation Prizes largely revolves around two World's Fairs that took place in Seattle in 1909 and 1962.

Officially known as Universal Expositions, more than 100 World's Fairs have been held in more than 20 countries, large and small, since the first one premiered in 1851. The events showcase a country's industrial and scientific achievements, as well as highlight its culture.  World's Fairs generally run from three to six months, with a major fair held every five years and smaller expositions sometimes held in the interim. During the almost 170 years since the first World's Fair, it is estimated that over a billion people have attended one.

The Crystal PalaceThe idea seems to have evolved from English and French national ...

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked Love and Other Consolation Prizes, try these:

  • Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet jacket

    Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

    by Jamie Ford

    Published 2009

    About this book

    More by this author

    One of BookBrowse's Top 3 Favorite Books of 2009.

    Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history - the internment of American-Japanese families during World War II - Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us about forgiveness and the power of the human heart.

  • When The Emperor was Divine jacket

    When The Emperor was Divine

    by Julie Otsuka

    Published 2003

    About this book

    More by this author

    This commanding debut novel paints a portrait of the Japanese internment camps unlike any we have ever seen. A haunting evocation of a family in wartime and an unmistakably resonant lesson for our times.

We have 5 read-alikes for Love and Other Consolation Prizes, but non-members are limited to two results. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member.
More books by Jamie Ford
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Graveyard Shift
    Graveyard Shift
    by M. L. Rio
    Following the success of her debut novel, If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio's latest book is the quasi-...
  • Book Jacket: The Sisters K
    The Sisters K
    by Maureen Sun
    The Kim sisters—Minah, Sarah, and Esther—have just learned their father is dying of ...
  • Book Jacket: Linguaphile
    Linguaphile
    by Julie Sedivy
    From an infant's first attempts to connect with the world around them to the final words shared with...
  • Book Jacket
    The Rest of You
    by Maame Blue
    At the start of Maame Blue's The Rest of You, Whitney Appiah, a Ghanaian Londoner, is ringing in her...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

Never read a book through merely because you have begun it

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

F the M

and be entered to win..