A story of first enchantments and last gasps ... Largely a book about storytelling, the conveyance it provides for unresolved emotions, and the way our futures are mapped in large part by our capacity to imagine them ... Ogawa captures the enduring spark of that imprinting and its oracular glow
Not only a compelling tale, but it is also beautifully written and constructed. The prose is clear, graceful, and engaging. Ogawa deftly weaves various motifs and themes throughout the novel.
Ogawa already brilliantly, deftly broadens her notquite- quotidian family saga with pivotal world events, but what disturbingly, ironically stands out in 2024 are references to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, Auschwitz, and Israel’s founding.
Ogawa...writes with exquisite artistry about the complications of a close-knit household whose members are quietly protective of its wounding secrets, as seen through the eyes of a young girl; the novel is beautifully translated by Snyder.
Powerful in its nuanced details, Mina’s Matchbox is an immersive and poignant coming-of-age story ... Ogawa’s masterful descriptions, too, add depth and suggest simmering secrets that wait to boil over ... Elegant and stirring.
Facing complicated themes with deceptively simple language, she pulls off a neat trick here, painting everything in miniature and often in hindsight without losing the immediacy of Tomoko’s experiences. A charming yet guileless exploration of childhood’s ephemeral pleasures and reflexive poignancy.
Captivating ... The revelations are described with cool and subtle precision, and Ogawa pulls off the rare feat of making childhood memories both credible and provocative. Readers will be hypnotized.
