On sleepless nights I open the matchbox and reread the story of the girl who gathered shooting
stars. 'Beguiling' New Yorker After the death of her father twelve-year-old Tomoko is sent
to live for a year with her uncle in the coastal town of Ashiya. It is a year which will change
her life. While the 1970s transform Japan her uncle's magnificent colonial mansion is a place
out of time its sprawling gardens are even home to a pet pygmy hippo. Equally beguiling are
Tomoko's relatives especially her cousin Mina. Their growing friendship draws her into an
intoxicating world - one full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling. Rich with the
magic and mystery of youth Mina's Matchbox is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time
and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse. 'Beautifully composed' Financial
Times 'Effervescent' New York Times Book Review 'Transfixing' Time 'I read Mina's
Matchbox like a besotted child enraptured never wanting it to end' Ruth Ozeki
