An Oprah's Book Club selection Set in Appalachia during the late 1950s, this acclaimed first novel chronicles a young girl's heartbreaking battle with Tourette's syndrome. Ten-year-old Icy Sparks already has one strike against her: She's an orphan. Life becomes even more difficult when Icy develops strange symptoms: violent tics, inexplicable convulsions, sudden outbursts, and uncontrollable cursing that accompany her rare neurological disorder. Her affliction goes undiagnosed until adulthood, but the all-too-visible ...
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An Oprah's Book Club selection Set in Appalachia during the late 1950s, this acclaimed first novel chronicles a young girl's heartbreaking battle with Tourette's syndrome. Ten-year-old Icy Sparks already has one strike against her: She's an orphan. Life becomes even more difficult when Icy develops strange symptoms: violent tics, inexplicable convulsions, sudden outbursts, and uncontrollable cursing that accompany her rare neurological disorder. Her affliction goes undiagnosed until adulthood, but the all-too-visible signs are the source of endless mystery and hilarity as everyone around offers an opinion about what's troubling the girl. Eventually Icy finds solace in the company of Miss Emily, who knows what it's like to be an outcast in this tightly knit community. Narrated by a now-grown Icy, this novel shimmers with warmth and humor as it recounts a young girl's painful journey to womanhood. A funny, sad, and transcendent story, "Icy Sparks" introduces a fresh new Southern voice.
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Add this copy of Icy Sparks (Oprah's Book Club) to cart. $26.98, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Highbridge Audio.
I have chosen this book to review because as a counselor, mother of a neurologically challenged child, person who has repeatedly dealt with rural poverty, and a member of a wonderful book club there is no doubt in my mind that you need to read Icy Sparks.
When I read the first few chapters, I thought it was just another book about the meaning of warmth and love to a disabled child. It's true that this love matters, but what also matters is that the child is given the respect to struggle and fight through the issues. In this case Icy has to suffer the pangs of growing up in an untouched background where such things are still mysteries.
What Gwyn Rubio does in the first person is get the reader into the personality as well as the thoughts and experiences of Icy. This is not an easy trick to do in the first person narrative. The colorful experiences and language never fails to fascinate the reader. In addition, the key friendship that unlocks Icy's trust is unexpected and perhaps a bit unpalatable to readers of this genre as the friend has an issue to struggle over as well.
And as the ending is a surprise and integral to the plot, I want you to read this book to find it out. If you read it, your faith that anyone can love and be loved will be heightened or restored.
