{"product_id":"9780008700881","title":"The Phoenix Pencil Company","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor: King, Allison\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eModern \u0026amp; contemporary fiction (post c 1945)\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 2 July 2026 by HarperCollins Publishers (Fourth Estate Ltd) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 368 pages\u003cbr\u003e197 x 142 x 24 | 254g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Absorbing’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGUARDIAN\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Magical’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGOOD HOUSEKEEPING\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Suspenseful’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e MAIL ON SUNDAY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Wildly inventive’ LIZ MOORE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  In this dazzling debut novel, a young reclusive coder unearths the story of a lost Shanghai pencil company and a legacy of magic, espionage and family secrets that will alter the path of her life forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  Monica Tsai spends most days on her computer coding for a program that seeks to connect strangers online. A self-confessed recluse, she’s more comfortable navigating digital worlds than real-life friendships. The closest people in her life are her beloved grandparents who raised her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Her grandmother Yun rarely speaks about her past. Now, in her nineties, her memory is fading and with it, the answers to Monica’s questions about their family’s history – about her grandmother’s long-lost cousin, Meng, and the years they spent working together at a mysterious pencil company back in Shanghai.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e With the help of Louise, a young archivist, Monica decides to track down Meng and reconnect the cousins before it is too late. Her search unearths a legacy of magic, espionage and secrets that will alter the path of Monica’s life forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘An intimate story of familial love and connection throughout the generations … you'll be gripped’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e INDEPENDENT\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘A suspenseful family epic fueled by love and espionage’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e MAIL ON SUNDAY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘A reminder of how family ties shape us’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e WOMAN \u0026amp; HOME\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Allison King is a talent to watch’ LIZ MOORE, author of The God of the Woods\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘A beautiful ode to the warmth of family connection’ RAY NAYLER, author of The Mountain in the Sea\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘A stunning debut … had me smiling through my tears’ FONDA LEE, author of The Green Bone Saga\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Darling Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56956863906116,"sku":"9780008700881","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0827\/1265\/8244\/files\/9780008700881.jpg?v=1783697933","url":"https:\/\/darlingreadsbooks.com\/products\/9780008700881","provider":"Darling Reads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}