Songs Of Willow Frost

Jamie Ford

★ ★ ★ ★

I really, really, really liked this book, but I'm not going to give it the 5th star. Not only because of the unmitigated sadness (Yeah, I know: "Boo, Hiss"), but because it is not a book that I would read again. It is prosaic, emotional, thought provoking, evocative, and possibly romantic. Still over all it was sad and the end (no matter how redeeming) was sad.

I am not going to rewrite this review, but I will say this is as much Willow's (William's mother) story as it is William's. And we learn about what it was like for Chinese women in the 1920's-1930's, even in California.....

William lives in an orphanage, he has memories of his mother.... On his 12th birthday (all the boys have the same birthday) the nuns take William & the other boys for an outing to a theater, where he sees his mother on a handbill for a performance in town. William's friend, Charlotte (who is blind) encourages William to run away in order to meet his mother.......

From that meeting we learn of William's past, his mother's past, and of Charlotte's past..... The past catches up with them all with some dire consequences....... The nun was an unmitigated bitch, and through her arrogance she gets her comeuppance, yet I felt there was no remorse only sorrow for herself.

I found William's side thoughts tedious...... Even when free, he never gave voice to his true feelings and I found that annoying..... The book was so compelling that I read it in one sitting....... I'm not sure I'll read another by this author, as I prefer happier stories.