A Single Shard

Bibliography:
Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. New York: Clarion Books, 2001. ISBN-10 0395978270

Plot Summary:
A Single Shard is the story of a poor orphan, Tree-ear, in 12th Century Korea. His only “family” is Crane-Man, who took him in when he had no-one else. They live under a bridge and scavenge for food. Tree-ear is fascinated by the pottery workings of Min, the best of the local potters, and through accident comes to work for him. The story centers around pottery and how Tree-ear grows as a person the more he learns.

Critical Analysis:
Linda Sue Park based her pottery descriptions on actual pots and techniques from Korean history; consequently the story comes to life. When Tree-ear is feeling the silt for quality, you can feel the texture right alongside him. You feel his fear when he is being attacked, and you understand how terrifying it must have been to continue on. You also feel his sense of obligation and his sense of loss. Because Park so clearly portrays her characters, the aspects of Korean culture and geography simply become part of the background, easily infiltrating the mind without distracting from the rest of the story in any way. And yet, at the same time, the cultural aspects are the key elements of the story, which would not exist without them. The entire story contains beautiful symmetry, just like one of the pots.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal – “In this tale of courage and devotion, a single shard from a celadon vase changes the life of a young boy and his master…This quiet story is rich in the details of life in Korea during this period. In addition it gives a full picture of the painstaking process needed to produce celadon pottery. However, what truly stands out are the characters: the grumpy perfectionist, Min; his kind wife; wise Crane-man; and most of all, Tree-ear, whose determination and lively intelligence result in good fortune. Like Park's Seesaw Girl (1999) and The Kite Fighters (2000, both Clarion), this book not only gives readers insight into an unfamiliar time and place, but it is also a great story.”
Booklist – “When the polite greeting in a society is "Have you eaten well today?' one may guess that subsistence is of prime concern. Surely no one in this twelfth-century Korean village is more accustomed to hunger than the orphan boy Tree-ear and his guardian Crane-man who is lame…This quiet, but involving, story draws readers into a very different time and place. Though the society has its own conventions, the hearts and minds and stomachs of the characters are not so far removed from those of people today. Readers will feel the hunger and cold that Tree-ear experiences, as well as his shame, fear, gratitude, and love. A well-crafted novel with an unusual setting.”

Connections:
Other historical fiction based in Korea includes:
Park, Linda Sue. The Kite Fighters. ISBN 9780440418139
Choi, Sook Nyul. Echoes of the White Giraffe. ISBN 9780618809172
Michener, James A. The Bridges at Toko-ri. ISBN 9780449206515