2002 Newbery winner, A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2002) is set in 12th century Korea. It chronicles orphan boy Tree-ear’s apprenticeship to master potter Min. The village of Ch’ul’po is renowned in all Korea for its beautiful green clay ceramics and made slightly unusual by the presence of a crippled homeless bridge dweller Crane-man (who stands on his one good leg) and the orphan he cares for, Tree-ear (named after a mushroom that clings to a tree root as the boy clung to Crane-man). Extended family would nearly always care for crippled or orphaned members, even if quite distant, and if all else failed the monks in the mountain monasteries would. So Tree-ear is somewhat of an oddity, and his secret desire to learn how to make fine clay pots seems to be hopeless with all apprenticeships being passed from father to son. When Tree-ear accidently breaks a pot of Min’s and begs to be able to work to repay it, he becomes an unlikely assistant to gruff potter Min whose only son had died some years before.
What I liked. I loved the warm relationship between Tree-ear and Min’s wife. One of my favorite parts of the book was how Tree-ear saved half of his lunch for his foster father Crane-man and how Min’s wife figured out what he was doing and without saying a word managed to give him more and help him save the half from getting eaten by animals while he did his work. I think I nearly cried when Min’s wife insisted that Tree-ear call her Ajima, “Auntie” by the end of the book. (Also, I listened to this on audio and appreciated all the Koren words pronounced correctly for me!)
What was interesting The setting in medieval Korea and in a ceramics town was so unusual and fun. And all the information about the celadon pottery was so fascinating. My edition of the book had really interesting notes in the front from the author, both about the writing of it and the winning of the Newbery as well as information on the actual famous celadon vase with the flying cranes that inspired the story.
What were some limitations. My only issue with the book is that I thought its title, although beautiful and appropriate, gave away the ending too much. This very well might not have been an author choice, and less experienced readers might not have guessed what was going to happen to the beloved pottery on the long journey to show the Chinese Emperor’s ceramics expert just from the title. But in a book that was so unique and kept me on my toes in a carefully constructed world that was so different from my own, I think a different title would have kept me a little more in the dark about what was about to happen.
Similarity to other Newbery winners. A Single Shard is a fairly unique book, in terms of setting and plot, but there have been Newberies that have apprentice-master coming of age tales. Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze is one set in 1920s urban China. I, Juan de Pera is set closer in time to A Single Shard although it takes place in Spain dealing with issues of an enslaved artist apprentice, but had a similar quiet and reserved tone. Johnny Tremain is an American Revolutionary-era apprentice coming of age tale as well. With its long journey and return home, it has a little resonance with Secrets of the Andes. And with its focus on art and the artist (and some great information about the art) it reminded me a little of Dobry and From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwieler.
What it teaches me as a writer. I am always amazed at authors’ abilities to make readers love gruff and cold characters. Tree-ear’s devotion to the gruff and continually cool Potter Min made the reader have affection for Min, and finally slowly at the very very end of the book Min is able to warm up and show affection. It makes the ending of the book so sweet. I think that as the reader, we have patience for Min because Tree-ear notices little ways that Min is good, and in his own way encouraging. Also, I think that the warmth from Crane-man and Min’s wife give the reader more patience for Min himself.
Another thing I appreciated was that Linda Sue Park wrote that she read Simon Winchester’s Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles which I thought was cool, because I love Simon Winchester books (I haven’t read that particular one) and the idea that she was able to piece together Tree-ear’s journey from reading a book by one of my favorite authors seemed so relatable that I might be able to do something like that as well.
Have you read A Single Shard? What are your favorite historical coming of age novels?
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