Park's Quest

by Katherine Paterson

Written by Newbery Medalist, National Book Award winner, and Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal recipient Katherine Paterson

Park can't figure out why his mother refuses to talk about his father who died in Vietnam. Park has no memory of him. But he is determined to find out the answers to his questions. When Park's search finally takes him to his gradfather's farm in rural Virginia, he meets obstacles beyond his imagining. Instead of being welcomed as the long lost heir, he is taunted by a young Vietnamese girl. Who is she, and what is she doing on the family farm? And will Park be able to accept the ultimate truth he has sought?

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Juvenile

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Katherine Womeldorf Paterson is an American writer best known for children's novels, including Bridge to Terabithia. For four different books published 1975–1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Awards. She is one of four people to win the two major international awards; for "lasting contribution to children's literature" she won the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing in 1998 and for her career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense" she won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award from the Swedish Arts Council in 2006, the biggest monetary prize in children's literature. Also for her body of work she was awarded the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2007 and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the American Library Association in 2013. She was the second US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving 2010 and 2011.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to 3.5 stars, but I bumped it up to 4. The description of Park seeing his dad’s name on the Vietnam Wall was absolutely beautiful; it made the whole book for me.
Because this book was published in 1988, it is quite dated. However, the Vietnam Memorial is still a revered place to visit in D.C., and this read could inspire middle-grade readers to find out more about the Wall and perhaps even make them want to visit.
I highly recommend this book (and visiting the Wall). It’s an experience one will never forget.

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled with a rating for this one, almost going with three stars, but ultimately I opted for four because it does manage some strong moments of emotional truth. However, this tale of an eleven year old boy visiting (for the first time) the decaying family estate of his father, about whom his mother has told him literally nothing, is uneven. I can buy the mother's reticence about the father in general but really? You're going to send your kid for two weeks to family he's not only never met but literally knows NOTHING about? Part of the point, of course, is that Paterson depicts people who make mistakes and poor choices which have potentially devastating consequences, though the book ultimately offers some qualified optimism. But the whole awkwardness of Park's ignorance about his family is really only a quibble. The deeper issue here is that Paterson just does not manage to make her characters as complex and plausible as she usually does, and consequently the plot does not convince. Park's character growth just did not ring true to me; given how he's depicted for most of the book, his reaction when he learns the truth came across as implausible to me. The attempt to tie the story in with Arthurian narratives (Park loves Arthurian romance and often imagines himself a knight in various Arthurian narratives that may or may not be familiar to you) also did not work for me--or it didn't gel fully, though I see what Parerson's trying to do, and her final invocation of the Grail is reasonably effective. Of the Paterson books I've read, this is the weakest, though given how generally good she is, that just makes this one a decent and noble effort.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favorites. I read it over and over throughout junior high.

A young boy, struggling to become a man, takes a summer to live with the family of his father, a Vietnam war veteran killed in action. He learns more than he expected to about his father, his own history, and the gifts he has inherited.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Park, whose full name is Parkington Waddell Broughton the fifth, has never known his father, who died in the Vietnam war. His mother refuses to talk about Park the fourth at all, preferring to leave the past in the past even if it keeps her son in the dark. When Park continues to press for information after a visit to the Vietnam War Memorial, however, his mother finally agrees to let him spend some time with the Broughton family on their farm. Imagining himself as an Arthurian knight on a quest, Park is determined to make a good impression on his grandfather, but he soon realizes that the elderly man is unwell, and that his uncle, Frank, is married to a Vietnamese woman, a member of the very race Park blames for his father's death. Worse yet, Frank's wife has a daughter named Thanh, who seems very hostile to Park, and who he sees as competition for attention from his long-lost relatives. It is only after several days spent piecing together the past that Park begins to understand how he might fit into the family.

As much as I love Katherine Paterson, I have to admit that this book was a bit of a muddle at times. Paterson intersperses the action of the story with scenes from Park's imagination, and after the first few instances, it becomes tedious. Most of these moments seem identical in tone and content, and it is very easy to skip them and still comprehend the story. Had I been editing this book, I think I'd have taken most of those digressions out of it entirely.

I also think this book is predictable, at least for adults. The revelations Park uncovers about his dad are just the sort of thing I'd expect to discover in a novel set after the Vietnam War, and they are not at all original. There are also a lot of mature themes - divorce, an extramarital affair, issues of paternity - that seem to blindside the reader near the end of the book in a way that I think would have been jarring for me as a kid, and probably would be for my girls as well, even in a few years.

The last time I reviewed a Paterson book, I mentioned that my husband and I had both concluded that her books would always deserve four or five stars. I guess Park's Quest is the exception that proves that rule. It was a three-star read for me, and not one I'm particularly interested in revisiting any time soon.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Brenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a arguably a realistic fiction novel. The Vietnam War affects the generation of characters after the war - but is not a central part of the book. Some parts of the story were hard to explain to our 6th graders (ie: why did Park's dad have an affair.) The story invites you to give comment to the unjust racism directed at Park's 1/2 sister because she is Vietnamese. But frankly the kids had a rough time understanding extramarital relations.

The ending of the book tries to create symbolism. But it just succeeds in being obscure. This book used to be of our manditory reading curriculum but due to its age and lack of agre appropriate theme, we discontinued its use.

[Hli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character in my is Parkington Waddell Broughton which they call him Park for short or Pork. Park's dad had died because he was in the Vietnam War. He misses his dad and always talk about him. His mother don't want him to always talk about his dad because she trying to move on from him. He want a dad to teach him about life like the other boys and he's the only boy and he's feeling left out. I wonder do he dreams about his dad. I can see that he's really sad and really misses his dad. I feel sad for Park.

[Jenny Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bleghk.
I just didn't like this book at all! There was hardly a hook and i got bored out of it so easily.

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parkington Waddell Broughton the Fifth aka Pork aka Park is a young man living with his Mom & missing his father. His Dad was a pilot during the Vietnam War and did not survive. Park has no memory of him. What Park has is an excellent imagination as he transposes the events of his daily life into an Arthurian story.
Katherine Paterson is an excellent author who manages to blend deep issues with humour & heart.
(Think Bridge to Terabithia.)

[Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

TRUTH--FROM THE BLACK WALL

Like an Arthurian knight setting out on a quest, eleven-year-old Park is determined to learn the truth about his father, who died on his second tour of Viet Nam. But his mother clams up on the subject, refusing to share critical information about the elusive man. Will she nurse her grief forever or is there more to it? This story reads like a squire's swift lance, as Park's imaginary mental adventures parallel real life situations. (There are quotes from Emily Dickinson's poetry and Rosemary Sutcliff's Arthurian novel, the Sword and the Circle.)
Denying the danger, growing frustration and possible shock of knowledge wrongfully withheld from him for a decade, Park pursues his goal relentlessly; yet he is sickened by gradual then sudden revelations, as he pieces together the pathetic patchwork of his father's life. Both sides of the family kept him in deliberate ignorance, but whom were they trying to protect--the innocent boy or their own hurt pride? Park seriously considers an abrupt departure from the Colonel's stately Virginia farm, since it was His choice to make the trip, therefore his right to leave. Why stay where no one wants him or believes he has a right to be?

This boy has a critical need to find and know his father--even in death--yet his mother seems to deny his very existence. Does she have the right to obliterate her son's biological and cultural heritage? "They needed the life flowing from his memory." How can he convince her to stop using his baby name of Pork? When will he be granted the minimal courtesy of being called Park the Fifth? A poignant, fascinating book about a boy's journey into the Past, in order to come to terms with the Present, thus to reshape his Future. Sensitive with compassionate humor, an entertaining introduction to our post Viet Nam national shame, delusion and prejudice.

(August 9, 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

[Katharine Ott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Casually he draped the dish towel over his shoulder." "Park's Quest," by Katherine Paterson, the Newbery winning author of "Bridge to Terabithia," is an angst-filled story of a young boy trying to connect with his father who was killed in the Vietnam War when he was very young. Parker Waddell Broughton the Fifth, or Park, has never been told any details of his father by his mother who firmly avoids talking about the issue. Now, at almost 12 years old, he burns with the need to know and begins his investigations which lead to a solo summer trip to the Broughton estate.

Paterson is comfortable and believable writing in the persona of a young teenager and she peppers the story with some interesting wow moments. She uses a unique, entertaining approach to allow us to share Park's thoughts and fantasies - he would translate them into times of chivalry and knights - "Give me the knowledge that I seek, and I will break this enchantment that holds your kingdom in thrall." - but today's readers might need a refresher course there to appreciate.

Another constant theme, and this one might be objectionable, is Park's approach to a Vietnamese girl he meets who turns out to have an important part in the story. The book is full of "little geek's mother" and "They all looked alike to him..." These crude sentiments expressed in the US following the Vietnam War were acceptable in many quarters and Paterson does not explore or resolve this issue, which could lead to another teaching moment for a young reader. A middle grade reader who is willing to do further research could get a lot out of this book.

[Georgia Herod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Park (Parkington Waddell Broughton the Fifth), like the bold knights in his fantasies about the Round Table, is on a quest to learn about his father, who died in Vietnam. Not only has he no memory of his father, his mother won’t discuss him. She says she will tell him someday. It is obvious that she has been deeply hurt—and has a cold hardness inside, none of which Park understands, but he knows it has to do with his father about whom he knows nothing. When Park’s questioning persists after having visited the Vietnam Memorial, his mother makes contact with his father’s family—and Park is sent to the farm, where he meets an uncle, his grandfather—and Thanh, a sassy little foreigner, whom he discovers is his father’s daughter! They have a very rough start, but are drawn together by their isolation and identity. Park also learns that his mother had divorced his father—and finally learns that she had done so because he had had an affair in Vietnam and fathered a child. Park’s father returns to Vietnam after the divorce to be with the other woman and then he is killed while there. At some point afterwards, Park’s uncle Frank marries the woman.

Paterson uses elements of Arthurian legend in this contemporary multi-layered tale. Park’s mother’s pain is heavy, Park’s confusion and yearning is real, Thanh is indeed a sassy, tough little girl—whose life experience in Vietnam has obviously created her temperament. She too longs to belong and to understand her heritage. Oh, the hunger to know and be known is compelling. Once again, Paterson has captured the inner longings of her young characters.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoy other Katherine Paterson books, but this one I just didn't really like. Park is eleven and determined to find out about his father, who died in Vietnam.

I found the interjections of Arthurian fantasy to be jarring and take me out of the story. I do understand the intention of those moments, and I do appreciate that an eleven-year-old who's obsessed with those stories could very well imagine his life to be like one. But they did not work for me.

Then I had a real problem with the term "geek." It's not really an insult anymore, but an owned identity, like being a computer geek, so it didn't ring true, especially directed toward Tahn. It dawned on me eventually that "geek" was Paterson's kid-friendly way of saying "gook," and it made a whole lot more sense. But, Park never works through his horrible, ignorant racism. It's just there, never discussed or acknowledged. He never learns more about his father's life in Vietnam, or Tahn's mother.

So much more could have been done with this story. But the revelation happens and the story ends. Dated and disappointing.

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found Park's Quest at a Little Free Library and, knowing Katherine Paterson's other book Bridge to Terabithia, decided to pick up the book in the hopes that I would find Paterson's other stories just as engaging. Unfortunately, something was missing in Park's Quest—the book felt like it ended far too soon. It's the story of a boy who doesn't know his father's side of the family and goes to visit them one summer. During his time there, he has to grapple with learning things about himself, his father, and his new circumstances, and ends up learning a lot more than he expected to find about who his father was. It's an interesting idea, to tell a story of identityt and belonging, but Paterson fell flat in the end to make it worth while. Park was one-dimensional, and even toward the end when he started to learn more things about his family, he never acted with the fire that Paterson created in him in the beginning of the book. The build-up and premise of the story was interesting, but the execution in the end didn't live up to my expectations.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it took me awhile to get hooked into this book, I did enjoy the story once things started to happen at the farm. I liked Park and his vivid imagination about being a knight. Would students have enough background knowledge to understand the references that Park makes to King Arthur and his knights? The story can be understood without this knowledge, but it gives much insight into Park’s character. This book deals beautifully with what may be considered a sore part of our nation’s history. Reading this book while studying this history would definitely add a personal touch to history, something that always seemed to be missing when I studied this subject in school. I wonder how Vietnamese or Vietnamese-Americans would take this book. What would they think about the way the author handles the accent of Thanh? I think students would enjoy Park’s story and will be better able to relate to and understand history and how it affects people.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked some of her other books better, but this book was just ok for me. I appreciated Park's imagination of being a knight on a quest to find out more about his father. But, I don't feel like he ever did find out about his father except the superficial, jaw-dropping (for a child) surprises. It may help some children if they are going through a similar situation, but this book doesn't have revealance in my personal life. I would not recommend this book as a must read for my children, but I do not have any problem with them reading this book.

[Casey Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was alright, but I got very confused in it. This is about a boy named Park, who is wondering why his mom won't ever talk about her husband that she lost in the Vietnom war. He tries and tries to get it out. He goes to his grandfathers house for the summer just to find some more clues about his father, but finds more interesting stuff. Personally, I didn't like the book becuase i was lost through out the whole book.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Katherine Paterson story, though she sets a high bar with Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved. Park yearns to know the story of his father, a Vietnam veteran, but when he finally gets a chance to visit his dad's family he gets more than he bargained for. It's a thoughtful book, and Paterson as always creates complex characters with rich inner lives. But you can see the big reveal coming from a mile away, and there's a lot of unanswered questions at the end.

[Gin]

Published in 1989 this contemporary realistic fiction tells the story of a boy who wants to know more about his father, a Vietnam Vet who died on his second tour. Paterson uses Camelot as metaphor for the boys journey of discovery but I found it distracting. She also has her main character use the work geek (instead of gook) to refer to a Vietnamese character and I couldn't figure out why/if it was intentional or not? A well-told coming of age story.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Park's dad was killed in Vietnam when Park was a baby.
Park was named after him - Park the 5th.
Park's 12, and he's eager to know about his dad, especially now that the Vietnam war memorial has been dedicated, but his mom isn't ready.
Park found his dad's books, and found an inscription, probably from his dad's dad.

Park's mom finally lets him visit his dad's family.
His uncle is a bit more revealing about family matters.

[Ayoca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about an eleven year old boy named Park whose father was killed on his second tour of Vietnam. Park was eager to know about his father but his family wouldn't tell him much, therefore he patchworked his fathers life together by himself. Could be used for grades 3 and up. Could be used during Social Studies when discussing the Vietnam War.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

So dated, I'm not sure today's kids could relate well. The protagonist was unlikeable and arrogant, but somehow transformed into a loving, tolerant kid in the blink of an eye; I found his epiphanies and his transformation unbelievable. And the King Arthur's court daydreams grew old fast. But I enjoyed the finish and wish the tone of the rest of the book matched it.

[Febrianti Ika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Park, curious about his father's death, insists on going to Virginia - his father's hometown. This journey reveals the truth about his father: a complicated story from the past. And yet, a sweet ending :)

[Jon Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. I liked it more without the imaginary Arthurian interludes, which faded as the book went on. It ended abruptly, which I couldn't decide if I liked or not. Kind of says something about my feelings about the story...that I don't care if or when it ends.

[Cassey · Rating 5 out of 5]

it showed me at the end Whene he finds out that Thanh is his sister and that his parents where divorced.I was also about to cry Whene he finally understood his grandfather and they both started crying.This book is amazing I like it and it's really nice

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. It has quite a mature twist for a young adult book, and the material is heavy, but it's written easily. It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger (which is Paterson's style), but it's a well suited one.

[Larena · Rating 4 out of 5]

G:FAMILY: Minimal violence and no gratuitous frightening descriptions. No profanity, sex or nudity, though it may contain offensive slang.

E:Easy: 3rd grade Vocabulary

Method: Physical Book

Location: Chautaugua-Cattaraugus Library System

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this twice in elementary school because I loved it so much. Haven't read it since then, but I'm assuming my elementary school tastes weren't all that bad.

[Brynna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the idea of this book, but I'm not sure that Katherine Paterson has made it work.

[Jennifer Bounds therrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read this one with my daughter for school. Great story!

[Morning Glory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book! I love how it correlated to Rosemary Sutcliff's King Arthur. It felt nostalgic.