A Single Shard
As seen:
By Linda Sue Park
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2 reviews
Tree-ear is an orphan in twelfth-century Korea. He lives under a bridge with Crane-man, a homeless widower who has taken him under his wing. Tree-ear hasn’t got many prospects, but he is fascinated by master potter, Min, who lives in the nearby village. Secretly watching Min work, Tree-ear longs to be a potter himself. He persuades Min to let him do little jobs, until one day he has the chance to provide a service for him – one that could bring glory to Min and the village and fulfil his own dreams. But there are others seeking glory and many obstacles for a young boy to overcome.
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This is a lovely, gentle story of a potter's apprentice in 11th Century Korea... not the most obvious choice for a YA novel is it? However, it is a lovely character study of Tree-ear and the characters around him. Both Min and Crane-man - Tree-ear's mentors are compelling characters with differing skills and obsessions. This is well worth a read for anyone interested in alternative family dynamics, craftsmanship and the meaning of honour and dedication.
Wonderful poignant, evocative, atmospheric. I learnt so much from this short tightly written book.
