Synopses & Reviews
From Jamie Ford, the
New York Times bestselling author of the beloved
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, comes a much-anticipated second novel. Set against the backdrop of Depression-era Seattle,
Songs of Willow Frost is a powerful tale of two souls — a boy with dreams for his future and a woman escaping her haunted past — both seeking love, hope, and forgiveness.
Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. On his birthday — or rather, the day the nuns designate as his birthday — William and the other orphans are taken to the historical Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song.
Determined to find Willow and prove that his mother is still alive, William escapes from Sacred Heart with his friend Charlotte. The pair navigate the streets of Seattle, where they must not only survive but confront the mysteries of William’s past and his connection to the exotic film star. The story of Willow Frost, however, is far more complicated than the Hollywood fantasy William sees onscreen.
Shifting between the Great Depression and the 1920s, Songs of Willow Frost takes readers on an emotional journey of discovery. Jamie Ford’s sweeping novel will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for the comforts of family and a place to call home.
Review
"[A] poignant tale of lost and found love." Tampa Bay Times
Review
"Arresting...[with] the kind of ending readers always hope for, but seldom get." The Dallas Morning News
Review
"[An] achingly tender story...a tale of nuance and emotion." The Providence Journal
Review
"Ford weaves another rich tapestry of history and family drama in this cliff-hanging tale....Hope and fate, laughs and tears: Songs of Willow Frost has it all." Ivan Doig, author of The Bartender's Tale
About the Author
The son of a Chinese American father, Jamie Ford is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which won the Asian-Pacific American Award for Literature. Having grown up in Seattle, he now lives in Montana with his wife and children.