{"product_id":"minas-matchbox","title":"Mina's Matchbox","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn sleepless nights, I open the matchbox and reread the story of the girl who gathered shooting stars.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Beguiling' \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRich with the magic and mystery of youth, \u003ci\u003eMina's Matchbox \u003c\/i\u003eis an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time, and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Beautifully composed' \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Effervescent' \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Transfixing' \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I read \u003ci\u003eMina's Matchbox\u003c\/i\u003e like a besotted child, enraptured, never wanting it to end' Ruth Ozeki\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback \/ softback | 288 pages | Published August 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63926748021085,"sku":"9781529933536","price":12.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/3459\/8749\/files\/9781529933536.jpg?v=1774005219","url":"https:\/\/www.thebookmark.ie\/products\/minas-matchbox","provider":"The Bookmark ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}