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The Lost Entwife
, October 20, 2013
(view all comments by The Lost Entwife)
On one hand, Songs of Willow Frost is the story of a young boy, abandoned by his mother, in a time when most people were struggling to recover from the worst financial crisis yet. Set in Seattle, this story paints a bleak picture, but one that is not without hope - because William Eng has memories of his mother - he just doesn't know why she left him and didn't come back. On the other hand, this is a story of social injustice. Throughout the book there are reminders of just what it was like to be a Chinese immigrant or Chinese-American, born on American soil. It's in the latter of these two stories that the true strengths of Songs of Willow Frost lie.
I've read quite a few orphan stories - from little Orphan Annie to bleak tales of children abandoned in countries around the world. I've read plenty of depression-era stories too, so there was no surprises for me on that score. Where Songs of Willow Frost really grabbed me was in the injustices surrounding William Eng - both those that worked in his favor and those that did not. Repeatedly, Jamie Ford reminds us that no one would want to adopt a Chinese-American boy and how the cultures clash so much.
William Eng's mother, you see, he believes is Willow Frost. Her situation was sad, but realistic especially in those times. And caught between a Chinese culture that shuns her and an American culture that does the same, but for different reasons, William's mother is left with little choice on what to do.
Jamie Ford's story is part-mystery, part-historical, and all heart-tugger. I felt so much sympathy for William and was rooting for him throughout the progress of the story. I was fascinated by the way Ford incorporated historical facts that don't get a lot of press these days in history classes, and I didn't want the story to come to an end when it did - because I wanted to be a part of William's life and see him grow.
Songs of Willow Frost is definitely a book that Ford's fans will enjoy and one that any lover of depression-era fiction should jump to read. It's an interesting twist in the collection of literature about that time and presents itself well for good conversation about it.
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