Book Review 2

Book Read: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Application:

When I read this book, a sense of guilt engulfed me. It reminded me of something that happened three years ago.

The main character, Tree-ear, did not give up when the pottery pieces he was supposed to pass to the royal court was smashed into pieces. He gave serious and calculated consideration about the matter; and with his determination, brought a single shard of pottery to show the royal court as a sample to let them decide whether to use his master’s pottery for trade.

A couple of years ago, our church held a soccer friendly game. The objective of this competiton is to foster fellowship within and across the various ministries. Being a soccer enthuiasts, I practised hard and look forward to the 'showing off 'my skills during the game. My hope 'shattered' when I accidentally injured my knee a day before the game. I got frustrated, angry and refused to show up ont the day of the game.

I had missed the point. The game is not about winning , nor about displaying individual skill. It is about fellowship, bonding and team building. I could have just show up and gave my support to the players. I could not contribute as a player , but I could have contributed as a supporter to the game and the event.

After reading this book, I thought, “If it was Tree-ear there, I bet he would have done the right thing; just like him not returning to his village after the pottery pieces broke, instead, continuing his journey with determination just to deliver a single piece of shard.”



Analysis:



Here’s an alternative ending to the book, which I think is more suitable.



Last paragraph:



Tree-ear leaned forward and pushed the cart up the mountain path.



Edited paragraph:



A screech broke the silence. Tree-ear looked up: A young eagle spreaded its broad wings slowly, soaring high into the vast horizon. He smiled.



Synthesis:





Evaluation:



The title, ‘A Single Shard’ is a very good one.



A single shard. A broken piece. This depicts imperfection, incompleteness, and a terrible weakness. Yet through this little piece of broken vase piece, the story brought out the strong will and determination of the main character, Tree-ear, who had overcome all kinds of obstacles to achieve his purpose.