Potter’s Boy lies when poetry meets fiction: a well-rounded coming of age story [Review]
Potter’s Boy
By Tony Mitton
Published by David Fickling Books
ISBN 978 1 910989 34 0
Ryo lives in a remote village in ancient Japan. His father is a well-respected potter, and Ryo knows he is likely to follow in his footsteps.
But as Ryo grows older, he starts to question his future. Is remaining in his home village and following in his father’s footsteps really the right road for him to follow? Accepting yourself and discovering the place you are meant to be is often a hard lesson to learn, and in Potter’s Boy, Tony Mitton tells Ryo’s story in vividly simple prose with no frivolous decoration, and no distractions.
The book is an adventure of self-discovery taken by a teenage boy, who is searching for his place in the world. The spark that ignites Ryo’s journey is struck one day when bandits attack his village, threatening to kill anyone who gets in their way. But this invasion does not pan out like previous ones on the village.
A lone stranger emerges from the shadows to take on the bandits. This is Akio, a member of a hidden order of warrior-monks that studies martial arts as a religion and as a means of fighting injustice. With very little effort, Akio defeats the bandits and chases them away from the village.
Ryo is entranced by Akio’s heroic feat and instantly decides to become a warrior like him. He chases after Akio and asks how he can do this. The warrior gives him one instruction: go into the hills and find Unzen, the hermit.
Although his father wants him to learn his craft, he doesn’t stand in his son’s way as he packs a small backpack, picks up a walking stick and heads up into the mountains.
Over the next few years, Ryo meets brave warriors, wise hermits, kind villagers, and young people like himself who are searching for the same thing as he is.
The potter’s boy sets off on his journey with the intention of becoming a fighter, but as the story continues towards its conclusion, Ryo learns that his destiny involves much more than using fists and weapons to discover where his place in the world really lies.
Ryo’s story does not stay in one place for long. Mitton moves it along in some unexpected directions, keeping the main characters always at the centre of the story. And in the final pages of the book, there is a neat and satisfying surprise that brings the story to a perfect close.
It doesn’t always work out well when poets write novels, but Mitton’s clear and lyrical writing matches the story to perfection. This is an elegant, exciting and spiritual novel for readers of all ages.
John Millen can be reached at [email protected]