The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King, once again we have a book with the modern day and a historical perspective and modern day Monica goes to Swarthmore and is working on a computer program called embers. The program collects information such as social post and other tidbits and the professor potentially wants it to become a dating app of sorts. historically we get the story of Yune her grandmother living in Singapore in the international village right before World War II. Her mom owns the Phoenix pencil company and their family has a special ability to find out what owners of the pencil have written. Monica threw her professors program finds her grandmother Yune’s long lost cousin who she grew up with like a sister but the cousin still lives in Singapore. This is how Monica also finds Louise. She is a Princeton student who Monica is immediately smitten with. when Monica comes home for her grandmother‘s 91st birthday she learned some devastating news that will not only alter her immediate future but also changes a lot of of her long distant plans. Throughout the book as we learn each woman’s story whether in the 1930s or modern day the one thing that stands out is the fearless love they have for their family and how they’re superpower may not only move mountains but shorten distances. Yune and Monica are face with decisions they’ll have to make for the love of their family I always find it amazing how when hearing about something one finds distasteful but when knowing the backstory totally seems understandable. I did find it odd that at no point did Monica and Louise discuss their sexuality and although I found this a very interesting book with meaningful subject matter I did find the romance weird both women will be betrayed and of course like in most books if there’s a white character he will always turn out to be evil or at least dishonest and Miss King definitely didn’t disappoint on that note. Still thought the book was interesting and I would definitely recommend it to those like me who love reading Asian narratives or just an all-around great read.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#AllisonKing, #ThePhoenixPencilCompany,

What an absolutely delightful read! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was such a beautiful, sad novel. It’s told in alternating perspectives. We have Monica, who is writing a journal in modern day and we are interspersed with a letter her grandmother is writing. Monica is dealing with her grandmother’s deteriorating memory, having to take a break from college to care for her. Alongside, her grandmother is trying to write a letter to a long lost friend while she still can remember the events she needs to recount. Monica is also adjusting to a new presence in her life and the feelings this evokes and a challenging decision between career and education.

This story is generally about identity and memory. But there is an angle of magical realism that’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Monica’s family have a unique method of communication involving pencils, that can be very useful but is also something that nefarious characters would seek to exploit for their own agenda. We meet Monica’s grandmother as a girl in Shanghai and the perils her family experiences. There’s a lot of sadness and suffering in this story, which makes her grandmother reluctant to share her experience, except to those who have a relevant need to know.

This was such a compelling read, we see what people will do when their choices are limited, when they are backed into a corner. We rage against people who exploit others, causing sickness and suffering. There’s a really strong thread of female companionship within this book and female bonds are core to this story, between cousins, between sisters, between mothers and daughters and nieces and aunts, between grandmothers and granddaughters, and between female friendship and beyond. It’s really beautiful.

This was a fascinating, brilliantly written novel that presents the past and present in perfect tandem, asking important questions around memory and identity.