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zoekatereads's reviews
354 reviews
Mina's Matchbox by Yōko Ogawa
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you Penguin Random House, Vintage Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
It's the spring of 1972, 12-year-old Tomoko leaves Tokyo and her mother behind and travels to Ashiya, a coastal Japanese town, to live with her aunt and uncle for a year. The home is magnificent - seventeen rooms filled with German-made furnishings... and a pygmy hippo living in the gardens. Centre of this home is Mina, Tomoko's cousin. Mina is a clever young girl, but at 13 her body often limits her as she struggles with asthma. The two girls form a close bond as Mina lets Tomoko into her little world of secrets, stories, and some rather special matchboxes.
Mina's Matchbox is a coming-of-novel focusing on this year of Tomoko's life as she looks back as an adult - the memories a snapshot in time she holds very dear.
This story was enchanting in many ways. A nostalgic tale about friendship, family hardships, memories, the beauty that can be found in the mundane.
"If you wanted to describe Mina in a few words, you might say she was an asthmatic girl who loved books and rode a pygmy hippopotamus. But if you wanted to distinguish her from everyone else in the world, you'd say she was a girl who could strike a match more beautifully than anyone."
I'll start by saying this is not a plot-book. It's observational of day-to-day life, and very character focused. Not for everyone, but I really enjoyed Tomoko's voice and the way she viewed the world and those around her which made for a really enjoyable read.
I particularly enjoyed Tomoko and Mina's relationship. Tomoko was so grateful to be let into Mina's world and genuinely savoured every secret.
Tomoko's observations of the adults around her were also really interesting. She made for an interesting narrator as she, as an adult, recalled her childhood experiences and how she felt about the behaviour of the adults around her. It was nice to get a glimpse of what Tomoko and Mina's relationship looked like as adults.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. A narrator looking back on memories from childhood through an adult lens is always interesting and I think this was done really well.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this if you need a book to make you slow down and appreciate the small things. ...and probably make you wish you had a pet pygmy hippo.
There were so many beautiful quotes in this book, so below are a couple of mine. Thank you again Penguin Random House, Vintage Books for the arc.
"Mina, who gave me so much and asked nothing in return, was born in the winter of 1960. Mina, the darling of the whole family, whose body was too weak to travel but whose soul never stopped voyaging to the ends of the earth."
"Beyond the page lay an unknown world, and the open book was a portal to that world that should not be thoughtlessly disturbed lest Mina be unable to find her way back."
It's the spring of 1972, 12-year-old Tomoko leaves Tokyo and her mother behind and travels to Ashiya, a coastal Japanese town, to live with her aunt and uncle for a year. The home is magnificent - seventeen rooms filled with German-made furnishings... and a pygmy hippo living in the gardens. Centre of this home is Mina, Tomoko's cousin. Mina is a clever young girl, but at 13 her body often limits her as she struggles with asthma. The two girls form a close bond as Mina lets Tomoko into her little world of secrets, stories, and some rather special matchboxes.
Mina's Matchbox is a coming-of-novel focusing on this year of Tomoko's life as she looks back as an adult - the memories a snapshot in time she holds very dear.
This story was enchanting in many ways. A nostalgic tale about friendship, family hardships, memories, the beauty that can be found in the mundane.
"If you wanted to describe Mina in a few words, you might say she was an asthmatic girl who loved books and rode a pygmy hippopotamus. But if you wanted to distinguish her from everyone else in the world, you'd say she was a girl who could strike a match more beautifully than anyone."
I'll start by saying this is not a plot-book. It's observational of day-to-day life, and very character focused. Not for everyone, but I really enjoyed Tomoko's voice and the way she viewed the world and those around her which made for a really enjoyable read.
I particularly enjoyed Tomoko and Mina's relationship. Tomoko was so grateful to be let into Mina's world and genuinely savoured every secret.
Tomoko's observations of the adults around her were also really interesting. She made for an interesting narrator as she, as an adult, recalled her childhood experiences and how she felt about the behaviour of the adults around her. It was nice to get a glimpse of what Tomoko and Mina's relationship looked like as adults.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. A narrator looking back on memories from childhood through an adult lens is always interesting and I think this was done really well.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this if you need a book to make you slow down and appreciate the small things. ...and probably make you wish you had a pet pygmy hippo.
There were so many beautiful quotes in this book, so below are a couple of mine. Thank you again Penguin Random House, Vintage Books for the arc.
"Mina, who gave me so much and asked nothing in return, was born in the winter of 1960. Mina, the darling of the whole family, whose body was too weak to travel but whose soul never stopped voyaging to the ends of the earth."
"Beyond the page lay an unknown world, and the open book was a portal to that world that should not be thoughtlessly disturbed lest Mina be unable to find her way back."