Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel weaves together magical realism with a story about big tech and data privacy. Which of these elements resonated most strongly with you, and why?

2. How did the novel’s blend of historical fiction, magical realism, and a contemporary love story feel to you as a reader? Have you read other books that combine genres in this way, such as Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun, which also explores technology and human connection? What makes this unique combination in The Phoenix Pencil Company successful or challenging?

3. Which narrative timeline, Monica’s present-day search or Yun’s historical recounting, did you find more compelling? How did the two stories enhance one another as you read?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The novel explores how family stories and secrets are passed down through generations. In your own life, how are important family histories shared or preserved? Do you see parallels between your family’s approach to storytelling and the way Yun, Meng, and Monica’s family handles their legacy?

2. Monica takes a semester off from college to care for her grandparents. Has there ever been a time in your life when you had to make a difficult decision between your family obligations and your personal goals? How did you resolve this situation, and what did you learn from this experience?

3. How did Monica and Louise’s digital communication reflect or differ from the ways you connect with people through technology?

4. Yun struggles to create a sense of belonging for herself and for her family members after she leaves Shanghai. Within your own life, what does home mean to you? How do you cultivate a sense of belonging, especially during challenging times?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The EMBRS app is designed to mine personal journals and sell their data, reflecting a concept known as “surveillance capitalism.” How does the novel’s critique of this practice speak to current conversations about data privacy and the ethics of social media companies? In what ways have you seen this tension play out in the real world?

2. How does setting the historical narrative against the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War shape the characters’ choices? What does the story reveal about the ways that large-scale political conflicts disrupt individual lives and family bonds?

3. The novel shows women like Yun, her mother, and Meng being coerced into using their unique abilities for surveillance by opposing political factions. What does this say about the exploitation of women’s labor and bodies during times of war?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The story unfolds through a dual-narrative structure, alternating between Monica’s timestamped diary and Yun’s Reforged memories. How did this structure impact your experience of the novel’s pacing and suspense?

2. How does King use the motif of the Phoenix pencils to explore the ethical complexities of storytelling? Share specific evidence from the text.

3. How did you feel about Louise as a character? Did you find her sympathetic, or did her ambition to archive Yun’s story make her seem opportunistic?

4. The novel’s critique of EMBRS and its philosophy of “radical sharing” echoes themes in other books about technology and society, such as Dave Eggers’s The Circle. How does The Phoenix Pencil Company’s use of magical realism offer a unique counterpoint to the problems posed by surveillance technology?

5. What does the recurring act of burning represent in the novel, from Meng destroying the Shanghai factory to Yun setting fire to her house in California?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you had the power to Reforge the pencil of any person from your own life, whose story would you choose to experience, and what do you imagine you would learn?

2. Imagine you are Torou in the moments after Yun has told you the entire truth about Reforging and her past. What might you write in a private journal entry that night to process everything you’ve just learned?