The Phoenix Pencil Company

King’s exceptional debut was inspired by her grandparents and the pencil company they once ran in Shanghai. The magical pencils in this book retain the memory of what they’ve written, and those who know how to “reforge” them can bring the memories they contain back to life. This power can be used to expose family secrets, betray a nation, or communicate loving words that were never uttered aloud. This is a real genre-bender, blending WWII-era historical fiction, grounded fantasy, family drama, and queer romance, all with compelling characters and an original and propulsive plot. Readers will also enjoy the sweet grandmother/granddaughter relationship, close look at Chinese history, and thoughtful exploration of questions concerning data, privacy, and who owns our stories.