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Celia A. (Takoma Park, MD)
Songs of Willow Frost
I read and enjoyed Jamie Ford's first novel, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, so I was set to enjoy his second one as well. He did not disappoint. He drew me into the world of immigrant and native-born Chinese Americans in the 1920s and 1930s. I found myself getting angry at and for characters. When events unfolded in ways that went against my modern sensibilities, I had to remind myself that things were a lot different then, especially for women. And if you were a Chinese woman... Ford does a great job of evoking the boom times of the 20s and the early days of the Depression. I defy folks who read
…more this book to not be moved. (less)Overall, this was a good read. How difficult it must have been for Willow to have such hardship thrust upon her. It is hard for one to imagine how the times dictated the way in which one was perceived. Jamie Ford successfully shows the bias of the period and the difficulties of life in the depression. I would recommend this book - good plot for discussion.
Cam G. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
Jamie Ford's second book
Jamie Ford has written another excellent book. That being said, however, it was one of the saddest books I've read...the poverty in the time of the Great Depression, the prejudices that existed against the Asian American communities, the cruelty of the step father of Willow, the main character, all made it a rather depressing book to read.
It took the tenacity of Will, a twelve year old boy, who lived in an orphanage, to search for his mother that finally brings hope into his life and that of his mother.
Teresa M. (Naples, FL)
songs of willow frost
I really wanted to like this book, as I loved the author's first book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. However, I had a hard time getting into and finishing the book. Ford obviously did his research on Seattle in the 20's and 30's, but I felt all the details bogged down the story. There were too many historical flourishes. I loved the character William and learning about orphanages, but this book just didn't flow for me. I didn't dislike the book, but didn't love it either.
Carole R. (Burlington, WI)
Some reservations
I really wanted to like this book as much as Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet which I selected for two different book clubs. However, this book just did not click with me. Don't get me wrong, the story line is great and it is evident that Jamie Ford loves Seattle. I guess my reservation is so much history was crammed into the story that it seemed like a history lesson at times. Somehow the facts and the fiction just didn't blend into a readable story for me. If you liked Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and the backdrop of Seattle history with the Chinese population then you will enjoy this book.
…more The movie making history of Seattle will be interesting too. There's romance, the wicked stepfather and stepmother, adventure, eternal hope and dreams-all ingredients for a good story. (less)In 1934 William Eng has been in a Seattle orphanage since his mother died 5 years earlier. When William sees a movie starring Willow Frost he is convinced that the actress is his mother, so he sets out to find her.
The premise of the story is good the execution is not. The book is filled with stereotypical villains; a cruel nun, a vicious stepfather, uncaring stepmother and more. The story was melodramatic and it was so bleak it was hard to read and then after a time I became inured to all the terrible things that happened to Willow.
William is supposed to be 12 years old, but he often thought and spoke as an
…more adult and that was off-putting. I also found it hard to believe that a young boy and his blind companion could roam the streets of Seattle without attracting attention.
It's clear that a lot of research went into this book and a lot of the information about the movie business at that time was very interesting, but overall the book fell flat for me. (less)I always hold high hopes for second books of authors who hit it just right the first time, but so often those second books disappoint. This book disappoints. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is on my all-time best list; this book falls short. Yes, it is well-written, and it tells a poignant story, but it just is not as believable. It is more like a sad fairy tale, with a happy ending. It could be a Walt Disney movie, and a perfect vehicle for a musical, considering Willow's talents. You can almost picture the scenes in the orphanage being staged. We even have the requisite villains. I think there is a
…more large audience out there who will love this book; it just wasn't for me. I didn't exactly struggle to finish it, but it was close. (less)I received this book under the Book Browse First Impression program. I really wanted to say that I loved this book because I really like Jamie Ford's first book and I wanted to be able to say I was one of the first to read a future best seller; but, unfortunately, I must confess that I can only say that I liked it rather than it was a great book. I did read it from start to finish, but I completed it out of a sense of obligation rather than I could not lay it down.
As I think about the plot of the book, I guess the story had promise. I cannot say, however, that the novel lived up to the promise of the plot. I
…more did develop empathy for both William and Charlotte. I hoped William's dream of re-uniting with his mother would come true and I felt the helplessness that Charlotte felt. I also think the book did allow me to realize once again the discrimination heaped upon individuals of Chinese descent during the first half of the 20th century and to reinforce my resentment over how women were treated as second class citizens. What caused me to really miss out on enjoying the book was that I had the feeling as I read it that it had been written primarily as a teaching tool instead of having the feeling that the author set out to tell a good story about William and Charlotte and just as a bonus to allow me learn what life was like for some people during that era. In other words, the story was secondary to the history lesson.
My other complaint is that some of William's thoughts seemed false for a 12 year old in 1934. I am a senior citizen and am often amazed at how much wiser about life the current youngsters are as compared to what it was like when I was young. Page 63 of the book has this statement: "Public school is free, William thought, but even that has become a luxury some can't afford." The statement is absolutely correct but it is too astute for a 12 year old at that time. (less)
