Mina's Matchbox: A Novel By Yoko Ogawa

From the award-winning, psychologically astute author of The Memory Police, Yoko Ogawa presents Mina’s Matchbox, a hypnotic, introspective novel about an affluent Japanese family navigating buried secrets, seen through the eyes of their young house guest.

In the spring of 1972, twelve-year-old Tomoko leaves her mother behind in Tokyo and travels alone to Ashiya, a coastal town in Japan, to stay with her enigmatic aunt’s family. Tomoko’s aunt stands out in her working-class family, living in a magnificent home filled with German-made furnishings, sprawling gardens, and even an old zoo housing a pygmy hippopotamus. Her affluent lifestyle is mirrored by her dashing foreign husband, the president of a soft drink company.

The family is as captivating as their grand residence—Tomoko’s dignified aunt, her German great-aunt, and her charming uncle, who is the family’s charismatic patriarch. At the heart of this world is Tomoko’s cousin Mina, a thirteen-year-old with asthma who draws Tomoko into a world of secret crushes and elaborate stories.

As Tomoko delves into this intoxicating environment, she encounters hidden complexities—her uncle’s mysterious absences, her great-aunt’s war experiences, and her aunt’s underlying misery. Through Mina’s imaginative tales and the allure of the family’s world, Tomoko uncovers the intricate layers of their lives.

Mina’s Matchbox* is an elegant jewel box of a book, offering a poignant snapshot of a moment frozen in time and a striking portrayal of a family teetering on the brink of collapse. Rich with youthful wonder and the enigma of secrets, Ogawa’s novel captures the magic and mystery of a formative experience.