Thank you Libro.Fm / HarperAudio for the ALC and William Morrow, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Phoenix Pencil Company in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: William Morrow / HarperAudio
Published: June 3, 2025
Summary:
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.
My thoughts:
You all know I love a good debut…and when it’s a story that explores family history, I’m all in. I recently met Allison King at a publisher event and loved hearing her talk about this novel. And how exciting that it was selected as a @reesesbookclub pick!!! Congratulations again, Allison!!!
I loved this story! It utterly captivated me, the way this author used pencils as a way of bringing memories back to life. So unique & so powerful. I loved the way relationships were explored, most especially the one between grandmother and granddaughter–it had me thinking about the relationship I had with my grandmother. The author also manages to weave in history in such a compelling way that I wanted to know more.
Inspired by King’s family history, this book reminds us about the importance of family connection and the power of stories. It is definitely a book that would make an excellent book club pick – there is just so much to unpack and discuss.
This is a book I took my time with because I didn’t want the story to end. I didn’t want to close the chapter on these characters who have found a special place in my heart. I’m in awe that this is a debut…again, my streak with debuts continues with winners!
Audio thoughts:
There are 4 narrators for this one and each one, Carolyn Kang, Jodi Long, Sura Siu and Crystal Yu, bring such a level of authenticity to the production…I think listening is definitely the way to go but I did love having the print version on hand.
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