Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

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Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford



At Sacred Hearts Orphanage all of the boys celebrate their birthday on the same day. On this day Sister Briganti will share information with each boy about their family and take them to the theatre for a show. It’s at this show in 1934, after living in the orphanage for five years that William Eng, now twelve years old, sees his mother on the screen. Her name was Liu Song but now she goes by Willow Frost. William knew her as his Ah-ma. Now he has to find her. He has to know why she left him all those years ago in the care of the nuns of the orphanage. William makes plans to find his mother, with the help of his friend Charlotte. But is William prepared to learn the truth of his mother, his father and the life they lived? Memories swirl through his mind as he sets off to find his mother and to uncover the answers to all the questions that have been lingering throughout the years.
                Songs of Willow Frost is a well written novel full of the somber realities of inequalities and hardships of the 1920’s and 1930’s. William has always seen himself as different from the other children, mostly because he is the only Chinese child in the orphanage. He has no hopes of ever being adopted because he knows, and has been told repeatedly, that no one wants to adopt a Chinese boy. His only hope of ever leaving the orphanage is for his mother to claim him. Willow’s story is a complicated one as well, full of hardships and abuse. The revelations that William learns when finding out the truth open up a realm of understanding that he could never imagine. What choices do you make to care for the ones you love?

                Jamie Ford, in my opinion, is a very talented author. Songs of Willow Frost showcases that talent. This is an easy to read novel, full of emotion and authenticity. It deals with issues of family and tradition, pursuing passions regardless of how you are viewed in society and how we measure success. This wasn’t a feel good story but it was intriguing and interesting. I found myself drawn to the majority of the characters. I was easily invested in the story from the start. I would definitely recommend this novel, as well as his first novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. A page turner with twists and turns that pull at your emotions. 

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