The Phoenix Pencil Company

A Novel

By: Allison King

Narrated by: Carolyn Kang, Jodi Long, Sura Siu, Crystal Yu

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK

“The Phoenix Pencil Company is a masterful blending of history, fantasy, and romance that sank into my heart . . . This book had me smiling through my tears.” — Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga

In this dazzling debut novel, a hidden and nearly forgotten magic—of Reforging pencils, bringing the memories they contain back to life—holds the power to transform a young woman’s relationship with her grandmother, and to mend long-lost connections across time and space.

Monica Tsai spends most days on her computer, journaling the details of her ordinary life and coding for a program that seeks to connect strangers online. A self-proclaimed recluse, she's always struggled to make friends and, as a college freshman, finds herself escaping into a digital world, counting the days until she can return home to her beloved grandparents. They are now in their nineties, and Monica worries about them constantly—especially her grandmother, Yun, who survived two wars in China before coming to the States, and whose memory has begun to fade.

Though Yun rarely speaks of her past, Monica is determined to find the long-lost cousin she was separated from years ago. One day, the very program Monica is helping to build connects her to a young woman, whose gift of a single pencil holds a surprising clue. Monica’s discovery of a hidden family history is exquisitely braided with Yun’s own memories as she writes of her years in Shanghai, working at the Phoenix Pencil Company. As WWII rages outside their door, Yun and her cousin, Meng, learn of a special power the women in their family possess: the ability to Reforge a pencil’s words. But when the government uncovers their secret, they are forced into a life of espionage, betraying other people’s stories to survive.

Combining the cross-generational family saga and epistolary form of A Tale for the Time Being with the uplifting, emotional magic of The Midnight Library, Allison King’s stunning debut novel asks: who owns and inherits our stories? The answers and secrets that surface on the page may have the unerasable power to reconnect a family and restore a legacy.

The One Who and the One Who Stayed

Well written story of 2 girls growing up during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai and subsequent Civil War, Rise of Communism and their special talents. Simultaneously, the story of the granddaughter of 1 of the girls and her search for herself.

Interesting events and cute characters

I enjoyed the story. Cute ending and love the use of emojis in the texts!

Sigh.

The story is nice. I really wanted to like this book. But honestly I found it boring and drawn out. Not for me. Nothing really happens. I made myself finish it in hopes that something would happen…. Spark some excitement…. It didn’t. Sorry didn’t like it. Don’t recommend.

Stick with it.

This book started slow for me. I even considered returning it. I am glad I stuck with it. It is beautifully written, and the narration is fantastic. it is definitely different but I am glad i stuck with it.

Great writing, character relationships, and inclusion of Chinese history

I enjoyed the magic in this book, the ability to use it either with pleasure and pain. It was great to see how their ability expanded on their relationships and deepened and troubled them.