'Absorbing'GUARDIAN

'Magical'GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

'Suspenseful' MAIL ON SUNDAY

'Wildly inventive' LIZ MOORE

A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK

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.

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.

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.

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.

'An intimate story of familial love and connection throughout the generations … you'll be gripped' INDEPENDENT

'A suspenseful family epic fueled by love and espionage' MAIL ON SUNDAY

'A reminder of how family ties shape us' WOMAN & HOME

'Allison King is a talent to watch' LIZ MOORE, author of The God of the Woods

'A beautiful ode to the warmth of family connection' RAY NAYLER, author of The Mountain in the Sea

'A stunning debut … had me smiling through my tears' FONDA LEE, author of The Green Bone Saga