Phoenix Pencil Company: A Novel

A REESES BOOK CLUB PICK

The Phoenix Pencil Companyis 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 magicof Reforging pencils, bringing the memories they contain back to lifeholds the power to transform a young womans relationship with her grandmother, and to mend long-lost connections across time and space.

Monica Tsai spendsmostdaysonhercomputer,journaling the detailsof herordinarylife andcoding for a program that seeks to connect strangersonline.Aself-proclaimed recluse, she's alwaysstruggled to make friends and, as acollege freshman,finds herself escaping intoadigital world, countingthe days until she can return hometoher beloved grandparents.They are now in their nineties,and Monica worries aboutthemconstantlyespecially her grandmother,Yun, whosurvivedtwo wars inChinabeforecomingto theStates, and whose memory has begun to fade.

ThoughYun rarely speaksofher past,Monicais determinedtofindthelong-lostcousin she wasseparated fromyears ago.One day, theveryprogramMonica ishelping to buildconnects her to a young woman,whosegift of a single pencilholds a surprising clue.Monicas discoveryof ahidden family history is exquisitely braided withYuns ownmemoriesas she writes of heryearsin Shanghai,working at the Phoenix Pencil Company. AsWWII ragesoutside their door, Yun and her cousin, Meng, learnofaspecialpowerthe womenintheir family possess: the ability to Reforge a pencils words.Butwhenthe governmentuncoverstheir secret, they areforced into a life ofespionage, betraying other peoples storiesto survive.

Combining the cross-generational family saga and epistolary form ofA Tale for the Time Beingwith the uplifting, emotional magic ofThe Midnight Library,AllisonKings stunning debut novel asks:who owns and inherits ourstories?The answers andsecrets that surface on the pagemay have the unerasable power to reconnect a family and restore a legacy.

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. 

• | Author: Allison King
• | Publisher: HarperCollins
• | Publication Date: Jun 03, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language: eng
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9780063447929
• | ISBN-10: 0063447924