The Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

The setting is Seattle in the 1920s. William Eng is a Chinese-American boy living in an orphanage. He's not technically an orphan but like so many other children whose parents couldn't afford to keep them in those economically challenging times, that's where he ended up. One day he sees a picture of a beautiful Chinese-American actress named Willow Frost--and he's convinced she's his long-lost mother. Soon he's on a mission to find her and get his life back.

I love the story of Willow, whose trials and tribulations would have killed a lesser woman. And I love William's resiliency and undying faith that he would someday be reunited with his mother.