Icy Sparks

By: Gwyn Hyman Rubio

Narrated by: Kate Miller

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Rural Kentucky in the 1950s is not an easy place to grow up, and it's especially hard for 10-year-old Icy Sparks, an orphan suffering from undiagnosed Tourette Syndrome, who lives with her grandparents. Icy's adolescence is marred by the humiliation of her illness. Its all-too-visible signs are the source of endless mystery and hilarity as everyone around her offers an opinion about what's troubling the girl. Eventually, Icy finds solace in the company of Miss Emily, an obese woman who knows what it's like to be an outcast in this tight-knit community. Narrated by now-grown Icy, this novel shimmers with warmth and humor as it recounts a young girl's painful and poignant journey into womanhood - and the many lives she touches and enriches along the way.

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©1998 Gwyn Hyman Rubio (P)2001 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

• An Oprah Book Club Selection

"Vivid and unforgettable...brimming with love and hope." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Richly inspired." (Time Out New York)

Interesting but not one I’d recommend

Too hard to follow. Some parts were too long The ending was rushed. Not one I’d read again

LOVED IT!

Great book. Made me laugh and cry all at the same time

very good

Where does Icy Sparks rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

very good story

What did you like best about this story?

story is from the view from the child, enjoyed that very much

Which character – as performed by Kate Miller – was your favorite?

all good

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

interesting ending

Any additional comments?

a bit streatched out at the end. last Cd or so

Eh....

This was ok, I wasn't completely into it, but it was still good, it did keep me wondering what was going to happen. The narrator was very irritating, she could change her voice ok, but kept saying the 'I said', 'P.V. said'...after 5 times in a row it got irritating. I don't regret getting it, it was a good story, just narrator did it injustice.

Very touching story

I really enjoyed the story. Not a big fan of the narrator. Her accent is nothing like a true Eastern Ky accent. She did not know the tune of many of the songs she sang also. A bit distracting.
Makes me wish I would have read the book instead.

Overall Good Story

Overall this is a good story. Narration wasn’t bad until the revival scenes towards the end. The narrator isn’t a singer and can’t follow the tune of the songs. It kind of takes away from the story.

Disappointing narration

I had read this book years ago and it stuck with me, so I was eager to listen to it as well. What a disappointment. The voice the narrator used for the most important adults made them sound like caricatures and not to be taken seriously

A beautiful story

A very enjoyable read, and wonderfully narrated. Icy's story is touching and insightful. The author painted a beautiful picture of the struggle of a young girl dealing with and triumphing over Tourette Syndrome.

Touching and exciting

Love this book.
A non stop listen with loads of emotions
Fantastic book glad I gave it a chance

Superb

Living in Kentucky I can almost feel Icy's story more than just listen to it. It was so well written and excellently read. The story deserves 5 stars, but the narration only 3. Most of the songs used in this book are beloved hymns and she just made up tunes for them (or maybe made up one tune and used it over and over) and it truly took away from the feel of the scenes where the author used music to help impart the perfect atmosphere to tell her story. Her use of so many songs shows that they are integral to who Icy was. I hope the author does not listen to the narrator's rendition. I had to turn down the sound and sing like Icy would have done it.