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The Ice House
From a writer who’s been praised for her “intelligence, heart, wit” (Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls ), The Ice House follows the beleaguered MacKinnons as they weather the possible loss of the family business, a serious medical diagnosis, and the slings and arrows of familial discord. Johnny MacKinnon might be on the verge of losing it all. The ice factory he married into, which he’s run for decades, is facing devastating OSHA fines following a mysterious accident and may have to close. The only hope for Johnny’s livelihood is that someone in the community saw something, but no one seems to be coming forward. He hasn’t spoken to his son Corran back in Scotland since Corran’s heroin addiction finally drove Johnny to the breaking point. And now, after a collapse on the factory floor, it appears Johnny may have a brain tumor. Johnny’s been ordered to take it easy, but in some ways, he thinks, what’s left to lose? This may be his last chance to bridge the gap with Corran―and to have any sort of relationship with the baby granddaughter he’s never met. Witty and heartbreaking by turns, The Ice House is a vibrant portrait of multifaceted, exquisitely human characters that readers will not soon forget. It firmly establishes Laura Lee Smith as a gifted voice in American fiction.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published December 5, 2017
150 people are currently reading
2547 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lee Smith
9 books75 followersLaura Lee Smith is the author of the novels THE ICE HOUSE (Grove Press 2017) and HEART OF PALM (Grove Press 2013). Her short fiction has been anthologized in BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES (2015) and NEW STORIES FROM THE SOUTH: THE YEAR'S BEST (2010). A writer who’s been praised for her “intelligence, heart, and wit” (Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls), Smith has won awards and accolades from across the United States, and her work has been translated into German and French. She lives in Florida, where she writes fiction and works as a copywriter. www.lauraleesmith.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
November 9, 2021
3.5Stars: “The Ice House” by Laura Lee Smith is a satisfying read about a man in the midst of crisis in all aspects of his life. His business is facing a shutdown; his son won’t talk to him; his wife seems restless; and his physical health is precarious.
Johnny MacKinnon is a native Scot who manages an ice factory in Florida. As the story opens, the Ice House is facing a financially crushing fine from OSHA after an accident in the plant. While he’s attempting to fight the fine and keep the business running, he passes out at work and discovers he has an unwanted tenant in his brain. At the same time, his ex wife is pestering him to make amends with his 30 year-old son who has a history of drug problems.
Sound a bit dreary? It isn’t. Smith writes her characters with a sense of humor. What she shines at is writing the quirky supporting characters that provide amusement to situations. In fact, it’s the quirky supporting characters that make the novel an enjoyable read.
The story is a bit slow to start but worth the effort to plow through. Some have criticized her ending of leaving no loose ends. I found it satisfying. As it’s said: all’s well that ends well. It’s enjoyable to have a story end in Disney fashion.
Johnny MacKinnon is a native Scot who manages an ice factory in Florida. As the story opens, the Ice House is facing a financially crushing fine from OSHA after an accident in the plant. While he’s attempting to fight the fine and keep the business running, he passes out at work and discovers he has an unwanted tenant in his brain. At the same time, his ex wife is pestering him to make amends with his 30 year-old son who has a history of drug problems.
Sound a bit dreary? It isn’t. Smith writes her characters with a sense of humor. What she shines at is writing the quirky supporting characters that provide amusement to situations. In fact, it’s the quirky supporting characters that make the novel an enjoyable read.
The story is a bit slow to start but worth the effort to plow through. Some have criticized her ending of leaving no loose ends. I found it satisfying. As it’s said: all’s well that ends well. It’s enjoyable to have a story end in Disney fashion.
January 30, 2020
Still trying to work through these netgalley books, please send help.
I actually don't have much to say about this one because it wasn't bad and so I usually just complain about what I hated but I didn't really hate anything about it? It was an okay book, nothing memorable though. Like I know for a fact I'm going to forget reading this and what it was about in a month probably. The writing was okay as well. I'd pick it up if you just want some adult fiction that's not terrible. I'm sorry I just really didn't get that invested in the book and so I'm just like meh about it all. This on was a 3.5 stars from me.
I actually don't have much to say about this one because it wasn't bad and so I usually just complain about what I hated but I didn't really hate anything about it? It was an okay book, nothing memorable though. Like I know for a fact I'm going to forget reading this and what it was about in a month probably. The writing was okay as well. I'd pick it up if you just want some adult fiction that's not terrible. I'm sorry I just really didn't get that invested in the book and so I'm just like meh about it all. This on was a 3.5 stars from me.
November 25, 2018
I've read more 5 star books this year than any other. Love it!
November 8, 2017
Thoughts soon.
May 15, 2019
3.5 stars
Johnny MacKinnon has a headache.
Not only because the business he has been slaving over for many years may be shut down, or because soon he will be diagnosed with a brain tumour. No, one of his most prevailing headaches has been his son.
Now 9 months off heroine and a new father of a bonny little girl, Corran is alone in Scotland trying to stay clean and learn the ropes of being a parent. But the siren song of heroin is always in the background.
I really appreciated the observations about how difficult it is for a recovering addict to stay clean and that Corran had a chance to tell his side of the story.
The above description may sound a little bleak, but the reading experience was anything but.
When I closed the last page all I could think is, this was such a satisfying read. This author’s writing is always so easy to sink into and reminds me a tiny bit of Joshilyn Jackson books.
All the characters made an impact on me, even the minor characters were memorable.
Like Roy, a loyal employee of the Ice Factory, a man who is crippled (emotionally and financially) by years of guilt following a car accident he caused. Now he must choose between this guilt and his daughter’s future.
Or Chemal, the teenager next door to Johnny, who at first glance seems like just another spoilt teen. Yet once Johnny gives him some real attention, this baggy pants loud talking man-boy blossoms.
The story takes you from the sweltering heat of Jacksonville to the freezing winds of Scotland, from medical centres to scrap yards, from bitter resentment to hope.
I like this author's stories and will definitely read more of her books.
Johnny MacKinnon has a headache.
Not only because the business he has been slaving over for many years may be shut down, or because soon he will be diagnosed with a brain tumour. No, one of his most prevailing headaches has been his son.
Now 9 months off heroine and a new father of a bonny little girl, Corran is alone in Scotland trying to stay clean and learn the ropes of being a parent. But the siren song of heroin is always in the background.
I really appreciated the observations about how difficult it is for a recovering addict to stay clean and that Corran had a chance to tell his side of the story.
The above description may sound a little bleak, but the reading experience was anything but.
When I closed the last page all I could think is, this was such a satisfying read. This author’s writing is always so easy to sink into and reminds me a tiny bit of Joshilyn Jackson books.
All the characters made an impact on me, even the minor characters were memorable.
Like Roy, a loyal employee of the Ice Factory, a man who is crippled (emotionally and financially) by years of guilt following a car accident he caused. Now he must choose between this guilt and his daughter’s future.
Or Chemal, the teenager next door to Johnny, who at first glance seems like just another spoilt teen. Yet once Johnny gives him some real attention, this baggy pants loud talking man-boy blossoms.
The story takes you from the sweltering heat of Jacksonville to the freezing winds of Scotland, from medical centres to scrap yards, from bitter resentment to hope.
I like this author's stories and will definitely read more of her books.
October 29, 2017
Adult contemporary fiction about forgiveness, courage, and redemption disguised as a family drama about a couple who owns an ice factory. Contains one of the most well-drawn set of characters in a book I’ve read this year. One of the secondary characters, Chemal, is among my all-time favorites. Even the dog had a unique personality.
The story revolves around the factory owners, who are currently facing impending brain surgery and business-ending OSHA fines. In addition, difficult family relationships abound, such as a father with dementia and an adult son recovering from heroin addiction. The author transports the reader to both Jacksonville, Florida, and Loch Linnhe, Scotland, through her articulate descriptions. The author’ writing style enables the plot to flow seamlessly, and her use of imagery brings the scenes to life. I highly recommended this book to those who enjoy well-drawn characters and stories of family relationships. Also recommended to book clubs and those who appreciate intelligent fiction.
I received an advance copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for a candid review. This book will be released December 5, 2017.
The story revolves around the factory owners, who are currently facing impending brain surgery and business-ending OSHA fines. In addition, difficult family relationships abound, such as a father with dementia and an adult son recovering from heroin addiction. The author transports the reader to both Jacksonville, Florida, and Loch Linnhe, Scotland, through her articulate descriptions. The author’ writing style enables the plot to flow seamlessly, and her use of imagery brings the scenes to life. I highly recommended this book to those who enjoy well-drawn characters and stories of family relationships. Also recommended to book clubs and those who appreciate intelligent fiction.
I received an advance copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for a candid review. This book will be released December 5, 2017.
September 11, 2017
Caution: For erudite audiences only.
That was seriously my first reaction to this book once I finished it. There are so many sesquipedalian words in this book that I had to read it with a dictionary on hand to look up new words every few pages. At first, I thought that the author is very intelligent and has a large lexicon, but when the book ended and I counted 91 words that I needed to define, I decided that Smith probably wrote this book with heavy assistance from a thesaurus. The "thesaurus writing" was severe for the first quarter of the book, but it mellowed out after that. Although, I still did really enjoy the writing style in this book and the fact that it challenged me intellectually with all the new words. The way she writes had me engrossed in the story. There were times where the story took a tangent for half a chapter, but I didn't even notice because the way she described the small town of Little Silver and the maintenance of the machines in the ice house had me enthralled and I was seriously interested in what was happening, even if it wasn't pertinent to the plot.
After having had to look up a lot of words, I realized that there were quite a few regional Scottish words, but there were also quite a few words specific to North American dialects. This led me to two conclusions: the American author is writing about a Scottish man and therefore attempts to include Scottish words to give credence to the story, but she still uses American-specific words because she is American; or, the Scottish man in the story has lived in America for many years and has picked up dialects from both countries and therefore the author uses words from both countries for his character. I am not sure which of these theories is true, if either, but it was just something that I noticed while reading.
At first, I didn't really want to read this book (I can't remember why I requested it in the first place), but once I reluctantly started I couldn't get enough. The author's style pulled me right in, as did the plot. Not to mention the unique setting. I've never read nor heard of another book that's set in an ice factory. And I actually learned a lot about that business while reading this novel. I think The Ice House was thoroughly researched, in mechanics, in medicine, and in the scenery. It felt real, like real people having real conversations, and that's something I loved about the book. You know far too often that characters fall flat and confabulations (to use a word from the book, meaning conversations) feel forced and stiff, but I didn't see that happening here. The characters, especially Johnny and Pauline, were fluid and they experienced trials and growth throughout the novel. And Chemal was my favourite character, of course.
The Ice House follows Johnny and Pauline, owners of an ice-manufacturing plant. The ice factory has just been served a lofty fine by OSHA for a recent accident that occurred in the building. Amidst trying to combat the possibility of the factory being permanently shut down, one of the protagonists experiences a sudden seizure, which leads to a potentially devastating diagnosis. While all this chaos is happening down in Florida, Johnny's estranged son, Corran, is up in Scotland experiencing some turmoil of his own. We read from multiple perspectives in this book, which I found to be an asset to the story; I loved the limited viewpoint each character offered and how the details in each person's life connected to create the satisfying revelations by the end of the book.
Ultimately, I don't think the book sounds overly interesting from an outside viewpoint, but the writing style had me hooked the whole way through, and I was actually quite absorbed in the plot. I became attached to these characters and I became emotional in their struggles. Every piece of this story is important and rich with detail as the narrative is woven together. Laura Lee Smith is an author that I will definitely keep on my radar because I would love to read more works by her after enjoying this one so much.
By the way, I looked up where Corran lives, Loch Linnhe, on a map of Scotland, and there's a ferry line that shares his name. That can't be a coincidence.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
That was seriously my first reaction to this book once I finished it. There are so many sesquipedalian words in this book that I had to read it with a dictionary on hand to look up new words every few pages. At first, I thought that the author is very intelligent and has a large lexicon, but when the book ended and I counted 91 words that I needed to define, I decided that Smith probably wrote this book with heavy assistance from a thesaurus. The "thesaurus writing" was severe for the first quarter of the book, but it mellowed out after that. Although, I still did really enjoy the writing style in this book and the fact that it challenged me intellectually with all the new words. The way she writes had me engrossed in the story. There were times where the story took a tangent for half a chapter, but I didn't even notice because the way she described the small town of Little Silver and the maintenance of the machines in the ice house had me enthralled and I was seriously interested in what was happening, even if it wasn't pertinent to the plot.
After having had to look up a lot of words, I realized that there were quite a few regional Scottish words, but there were also quite a few words specific to North American dialects. This led me to two conclusions: the American author is writing about a Scottish man and therefore attempts to include Scottish words to give credence to the story, but she still uses American-specific words because she is American; or, the Scottish man in the story has lived in America for many years and has picked up dialects from both countries and therefore the author uses words from both countries for his character. I am not sure which of these theories is true, if either, but it was just something that I noticed while reading.
At first, I didn't really want to read this book (I can't remember why I requested it in the first place), but once I reluctantly started I couldn't get enough. The author's style pulled me right in, as did the plot. Not to mention the unique setting. I've never read nor heard of another book that's set in an ice factory. And I actually learned a lot about that business while reading this novel. I think The Ice House was thoroughly researched, in mechanics, in medicine, and in the scenery. It felt real, like real people having real conversations, and that's something I loved about the book. You know far too often that characters fall flat and confabulations (to use a word from the book, meaning conversations) feel forced and stiff, but I didn't see that happening here. The characters, especially Johnny and Pauline, were fluid and they experienced trials and growth throughout the novel. And Chemal was my favourite character, of course.
The Ice House follows Johnny and Pauline, owners of an ice-manufacturing plant. The ice factory has just been served a lofty fine by OSHA for a recent accident that occurred in the building. Amidst trying to combat the possibility of the factory being permanently shut down, one of the protagonists experiences a sudden seizure, which leads to a potentially devastating diagnosis. While all this chaos is happening down in Florida, Johnny's estranged son, Corran, is up in Scotland experiencing some turmoil of his own. We read from multiple perspectives in this book, which I found to be an asset to the story; I loved the limited viewpoint each character offered and how the details in each person's life connected to create the satisfying revelations by the end of the book.
Ultimately, I don't think the book sounds overly interesting from an outside viewpoint, but the writing style had me hooked the whole way through, and I was actually quite absorbed in the plot. I became attached to these characters and I became emotional in their struggles. Every piece of this story is important and rich with detail as the narrative is woven together. Laura Lee Smith is an author that I will definitely keep on my radar because I would love to read more works by her after enjoying this one so much.
"I think most of us take for granted that the foundations of our life are solid."
By the way, I looked up where Corran lives, Loch Linnhe, on a map of Scotland, and there's a ferry line that shares his name. That can't be a coincidence.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
December 13, 2017
GNab If you have read other reviews of this special novel, you may think me addlepated when I tell you that this is an excellent feel good tale. After all, 30 year old Corran, though currently in his fifth phase of freedom from heroin addiction and settled in a small drug free town on Loch Linnhe, Scotland, is facing a life of strife with no marketable skills that will allow him to raise his nine month old daughter as a single parent after his wife Anna receives an extended jail term for selling drugs to feed her habit. He has and can work off-shore oil rigs and make a decent wage but who will take care of Lucy? He is afraid to settle anywhere drugs are available as he is now all the family Lucy has. He must stay drug free for her.
Corran and his father Johnny haven't spoken since the dust up in Jacksonville, Florida at Christmas the year before, when Corran slides back into addiction just days after his release from the last expensive rehab. Johnny has his own problems - a brain tumor and a second mortgage on his home to pay for drug rehabs for Corran over the years. Johnny's across-the-street neighbor jumped in to help while Johnny is taking steroids and waiting for the swelling in his brain to go down before the surgery, to drive Johnny around and help out. Seventeen year old Chemal is scary smart, but is out of school because of emotional issues - poorly socialized, doesn't sense boundaries, doesn't do well with authority.
Johnny's wife of twenty something years, Pauline, is at 50 watching her racist father Packy Knight fall further into dementia and is second guessing her long ago decision to forgo children of her own - Johnny has always been good about sharing Corran with her, but..... Johnny and Pauline are also facing massive fines from OSHA that will result in closing down their second generation family owned Jacksonville Florida ice house unless they can come up with a witness to tie in the across-the-street dope dealer with their ammonia tank rupture. If they have to close shop to pay the fines it will not only break them, but put out of work their many loyal employees.
Corran's Mom Sharon, a hospice nurse and breast cancer survivor who is also broke from rehab expenses over the last several years is dealing with her husband Toole slipping into dementia, working full time and trying to assist Corran three hours away from her home near Glasgow with Lucy on weekends, so he can work overtime on the ferry that employs him.
These folks feel like family - they are well rounded, compassionate, genuine. Anything is possible with this support system on your side. Laura Lee Smith is an author I will watch for.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Laura Lee Smith, and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Dec 12, 2017
rec Oct 19, 2017
Grove Atlantic
Corran and his father Johnny haven't spoken since the dust up in Jacksonville, Florida at Christmas the year before, when Corran slides back into addiction just days after his release from the last expensive rehab. Johnny has his own problems - a brain tumor and a second mortgage on his home to pay for drug rehabs for Corran over the years. Johnny's across-the-street neighbor jumped in to help while Johnny is taking steroids and waiting for the swelling in his brain to go down before the surgery, to drive Johnny around and help out. Seventeen year old Chemal is scary smart, but is out of school because of emotional issues - poorly socialized, doesn't sense boundaries, doesn't do well with authority.
Johnny's wife of twenty something years, Pauline, is at 50 watching her racist father Packy Knight fall further into dementia and is second guessing her long ago decision to forgo children of her own - Johnny has always been good about sharing Corran with her, but..... Johnny and Pauline are also facing massive fines from OSHA that will result in closing down their second generation family owned Jacksonville Florida ice house unless they can come up with a witness to tie in the across-the-street dope dealer with their ammonia tank rupture. If they have to close shop to pay the fines it will not only break them, but put out of work their many loyal employees.
Corran's Mom Sharon, a hospice nurse and breast cancer survivor who is also broke from rehab expenses over the last several years is dealing with her husband Toole slipping into dementia, working full time and trying to assist Corran three hours away from her home near Glasgow with Lucy on weekends, so he can work overtime on the ferry that employs him.
These folks feel like family - they are well rounded, compassionate, genuine. Anything is possible with this support system on your side. Laura Lee Smith is an author I will watch for.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Laura Lee Smith, and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Dec 12, 2017
rec Oct 19, 2017
Grove Atlantic
June 26, 2019
I have read Ms. Smith's book, "Heart of Palm" so this was eagerly anticipated. Unfortunatingly, this book was to bogged down in detail that there were several junctures were I considered abandoning it. This family drama could have been more entertaining, if the author hadn't felt the impulse to repeat that an adult child could return to his drug of choice at any moment over and over again. I felt that the reader wasn't consider sharp enough to retain this key detail from one chapter to the next.
Johnny left his son, Corran in Scotland to emigrate to FL for better income. The small factory where Johnny is hired later becomes his to manage after he marries the boss's daughter, Pauline,when the boss retires. They have been married for more than 25 years, when the story begins. The business may close when the government fines the co. 3/4 of a million dollars for negligence. There has been sabotage but they don't know who is at fault.
Meanwhile, Johnny looses conscientious and gets a serious diagnosis that motivates him to mend fences with Corran over a misunderstanding that has created a rift. Meanwhile, Pauline is having a mid-life crisis leading to her rethinking her choices. After nearly 450 pages, the story leads to a pleasant conclusion. There are no surprises and the end though neat and tidy, didn't feel satisfying. I never connected to the characters so it didn't matter that they had a happy ending, I didn't care. This was not a bad story. It just wasn't good.
Johnny left his son, Corran in Scotland to emigrate to FL for better income. The small factory where Johnny is hired later becomes his to manage after he marries the boss's daughter, Pauline,when the boss retires. They have been married for more than 25 years, when the story begins. The business may close when the government fines the co. 3/4 of a million dollars for negligence. There has been sabotage but they don't know who is at fault.
Meanwhile, Johnny looses conscientious and gets a serious diagnosis that motivates him to mend fences with Corran over a misunderstanding that has created a rift. Meanwhile, Pauline is having a mid-life crisis leading to her rethinking her choices. After nearly 450 pages, the story leads to a pleasant conclusion. There are no surprises and the end though neat and tidy, didn't feel satisfying. I never connected to the characters so it didn't matter that they had a happy ending, I didn't care. This was not a bad story. It just wasn't good.
August 29, 2017
It’s been several years since I mourned upon finishing a novel -- but that’s exactly what happened on the last page of The Ice House. I would miss the characters. I would miss that sense of confidence from being guided by a sure-footed author, the feeling that the investment of time, energy and emotion will pay off. Smith conveys rich images economically, without contrivance. One such word-picture comes to mind: a breakfast scene between ice-factory worker Roy and his sleepily uncommunicative, but affectionate teenage daughter. That brief scene told me so much about Roy, a secondary character. Imagine how well-drawn the primary characters are. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between the chief protagonist (a gruff Scot named Johnny) and the cheerfully distracted, socially challenged Chemal, the teenage neighbor Johnny recruits as a driver. Their quirky father-son dynamic sets the stage for Johnny’s tense reunion with his flesh-and-blood son, a recovering heroin addict. I also enjoyed one poignant (and funny) realization experienced by Johnny’s wife, Pauline, as she seeks some distraction from the grim developments at home and at work. That small realization made Pauline more vulnerable and more sympathetic. Without serving up syrupy cliches, Smith makes us care about the flawed, complicated main characters; we need to keep reading to learn what happens to them. What happens is both satisfying and credible, even if we understand there are no guarantees. In other words, from start to finish, The Ice House rings with authenticity.
I received this novel, for free, from NetGalley, in return for an honest review.
I received this novel, for free, from NetGalley, in return for an honest review.
October 14, 2018
The (N)ice House.
Congratulations to relatively new author Laura Lee Smith on writing The Ice House. She gives us a good story peopled with believable characters (I particularly liked Chemal, the kid next door). Most impressive is the dialogue which I found totally believable. The tale is told in a straightforward way without resorting to dual time-frames or multi view-points – something of a welcome rarity these days.
The story is a simple one: Johnny is a fiftysomething Scot who came to Florida in his youth and married the boss’s daughter. He and Pauline run the ice house which is in trouble with the authorities because of an accident that has happened at the plant; an audit is now taking place. Meanwhile, Johnny is heading towards medical difficulties and his son Corran, estranged from his father and living in Scotland, is a recovering heroin addict with a new baby to look after. Johnny and Pauline have plenty to worry about.
The cold of the ice plant is a constant reminder of the Floridian heat outside. Equally, Laura Lee Smith contrasts her two settings with convincing effect. “In Florida, silence was a porous thing, damp and fragile, never quite solidified. Always there was sound, somewhere. Cicadas whirring, rustle of palmettos, rumble of afternoon thunderheads. Pecans dropping through the canopy. Mosquitoes buzzing at earlobes. In Scotland, out in the country, the silence was dry, hardened, complete.”
On the negative side, there’s not really sufficient story here to sustain the page count; cutting the extraneous detail down to three hundred pages would have produced a tighter and better read, in my view. Yet after all that, the ending seemed rushed and overly contrived. Also, I’m never quite sure about bumping into Americanisms when the Scottish characters are on the British side of the pond: five-and-dime stores and diapers do tend to jar a bit. But for all that, this is an enjoyable novel with plenty to recommend it.
My thanks to Grove Press for the ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
Congratulations to relatively new author Laura Lee Smith on writing The Ice House. She gives us a good story peopled with believable characters (I particularly liked Chemal, the kid next door). Most impressive is the dialogue which I found totally believable. The tale is told in a straightforward way without resorting to dual time-frames or multi view-points – something of a welcome rarity these days.
The story is a simple one: Johnny is a fiftysomething Scot who came to Florida in his youth and married the boss’s daughter. He and Pauline run the ice house which is in trouble with the authorities because of an accident that has happened at the plant; an audit is now taking place. Meanwhile, Johnny is heading towards medical difficulties and his son Corran, estranged from his father and living in Scotland, is a recovering heroin addict with a new baby to look after. Johnny and Pauline have plenty to worry about.
The cold of the ice plant is a constant reminder of the Floridian heat outside. Equally, Laura Lee Smith contrasts her two settings with convincing effect. “In Florida, silence was a porous thing, damp and fragile, never quite solidified. Always there was sound, somewhere. Cicadas whirring, rustle of palmettos, rumble of afternoon thunderheads. Pecans dropping through the canopy. Mosquitoes buzzing at earlobes. In Scotland, out in the country, the silence was dry, hardened, complete.”
On the negative side, there’s not really sufficient story here to sustain the page count; cutting the extraneous detail down to three hundred pages would have produced a tighter and better read, in my view. Yet after all that, the ending seemed rushed and overly contrived. Also, I’m never quite sure about bumping into Americanisms when the Scottish characters are on the British side of the pond: five-and-dime stores and diapers do tend to jar a bit. But for all that, this is an enjoyable novel with plenty to recommend it.
My thanks to Grove Press for the ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
April 23, 2021
The quotation from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, ‘When sorrows come, they come not single spies. But in battalions!‘ might have been written for Johnny MacKinnon, owner of Bold City Ice. Not only is he facing the possible loss of the family business as a result of fines imposed due to a freak accident but he has recently received the news he has a serious medical condition. Add to that his fractured relationship with Corran, his son by his first wife, Sharon. Oh, and not forgetting an invasion of Cuban tree frogs in his garden.
And Johnny’s not the only one finding their plate is full to overflowing with problems. Pauline, Johnny’s wife, is facing the challenge of running the ice factory in Johnny’s absence, including managing their appeal against the fine for breaches of safety related to the accident. To add to that, her father, Packy, is suffering with dementia. Back in Scotland, Johnny’s birthplace, Corran is recently out of rehab for heroin addiction and trying to balance the demands of caring for his baby daughter alone with holding down a job.
Both Johnny and Pauline find a degree of solace in friendships they form with two young people: Johnny, with Chemal, the stepson of his neighbour Jerry, who he bonds with over their shared love of cars and the TV programme Top Gear; and Pauline with Sam, the young lawyer from the firm the MacKinnons have instructed to handle their appeal, who shares her interest in running.
The author provides some great pen pictures of secondary characters, especially the employees of Bold City Ice. For example, Claire, the super-efficient woman who manages much of the factory administration and is ‘a miracle of competence’, is referred to as the ‘Vice President of Everything’. The factory’s hirsute Operations Engineer, Roy Grassi, is likened to a ‘funny, loyal yeti’ whose beard length seems to correspond to the current state of his love life
Alongside the myriad problems and moments of drama, there is welcome humour. I especially liked the scene in which Pauline imagines applying the concepts she hears about at a marketing conference – deliverables, paradigm shifts, learnings, BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals, for the uninitiated) – to operational meetings back at Bold City Ice.
There is some beautiful writing in the book. I was particularly struck by the following passage in which Johnny ruminates on the differences between the atmosphere of his birthplace, Scotland, and that of his adopted home state, Florida. ‘In Florida, silence was a porous thing, damp and fragile, never quite solidified. Always there was sound, somewhere. Cicadas whirring, rustle of palmettos, rumble of afternoon thunderheads. Pecans dropping through the canopy. Mosquitos buzzing at earlobes. In Scotland, out in the country, the silence was dry, hardened, complete. It was a silence so absolute it was almost deafening, softened only now and again by a cold wind cutting through wide yellow fields of oilseed rape. Johnny also felt that the silence in Scotland was older, perhaps wiser. Florida quiet was restless, wild, as unrestrained and lightsome as a bobcat cub.’
The Ice House is an absorbing exploration of family dynamics and how sometimes it can be way more difficult to fix things than it was to cause them to go wrong in the first place, but that it’s always worth the effort. As Johnny’s doctor observes, “We all keep going, Johnny. We just keep going until we can’t.”
And Johnny’s not the only one finding their plate is full to overflowing with problems. Pauline, Johnny’s wife, is facing the challenge of running the ice factory in Johnny’s absence, including managing their appeal against the fine for breaches of safety related to the accident. To add to that, her father, Packy, is suffering with dementia. Back in Scotland, Johnny’s birthplace, Corran is recently out of rehab for heroin addiction and trying to balance the demands of caring for his baby daughter alone with holding down a job.
Both Johnny and Pauline find a degree of solace in friendships they form with two young people: Johnny, with Chemal, the stepson of his neighbour Jerry, who he bonds with over their shared love of cars and the TV programme Top Gear; and Pauline with Sam, the young lawyer from the firm the MacKinnons have instructed to handle their appeal, who shares her interest in running.
The author provides some great pen pictures of secondary characters, especially the employees of Bold City Ice. For example, Claire, the super-efficient woman who manages much of the factory administration and is ‘a miracle of competence’, is referred to as the ‘Vice President of Everything’. The factory’s hirsute Operations Engineer, Roy Grassi, is likened to a ‘funny, loyal yeti’ whose beard length seems to correspond to the current state of his love life
Alongside the myriad problems and moments of drama, there is welcome humour. I especially liked the scene in which Pauline imagines applying the concepts she hears about at a marketing conference – deliverables, paradigm shifts, learnings, BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals, for the uninitiated) – to operational meetings back at Bold City Ice.
There is some beautiful writing in the book. I was particularly struck by the following passage in which Johnny ruminates on the differences between the atmosphere of his birthplace, Scotland, and that of his adopted home state, Florida. ‘In Florida, silence was a porous thing, damp and fragile, never quite solidified. Always there was sound, somewhere. Cicadas whirring, rustle of palmettos, rumble of afternoon thunderheads. Pecans dropping through the canopy. Mosquitos buzzing at earlobes. In Scotland, out in the country, the silence was dry, hardened, complete. It was a silence so absolute it was almost deafening, softened only now and again by a cold wind cutting through wide yellow fields of oilseed rape. Johnny also felt that the silence in Scotland was older, perhaps wiser. Florida quiet was restless, wild, as unrestrained and lightsome as a bobcat cub.’
The Ice House is an absorbing exploration of family dynamics and how sometimes it can be way more difficult to fix things than it was to cause them to go wrong in the first place, but that it’s always worth the effort. As Johnny’s doctor observes, “We all keep going, Johnny. We just keep going until we can’t.”
Read
May 18, 2018I picked up The Ice House once, read the first chapter, and wasn’t all that thrilled. Then I tried again, and I’m glad I did. The writing felt a bit clunky and uneven at the opening, but this quickly became a great read—relatable but somewhat quirky characters, all-too-real but stuff-of-nightmares situations (a brain tumor, a business that might go under, a livelihood that might be lost), and redemptions that felt real and not just convenient.
I was a big fan.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
I was a big fan.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
January 28, 2018
Wonderful book, wonderfully written with wit and authenticity and with what one reviewer called "robust characters." People you care about and a wonderful elderly dachshund called General.
Amusing, sad, emotional, and utterly engaging.
(Can you tell I liked it?)
Amusing, sad, emotional, and utterly engaging.
(Can you tell I liked it?)
January 2, 2019
Poignant family drama as crises aplenty open up the path to forgiveness for the troubled MacKinnons.
The Ice House is a multifaceted family drama centred on a family in crises as circumstances conspire to leave fifty-three-year-old Scottish born protagonist, Johnny MacKinnon, on the brink of losing his livelihood and contemplating a bleak medical prognosis. Faced with potentially a final opportunity to heal rifts and make some difficult decisions, Laura Lee Smith serves up a sprawling look at the lives of those surrounding the man, from Johnny’s estranged thirty-year-old son, Corran, to the employees on the floor of the ice factory he and locally born second wife, Pauline, own and run. Full of insights, honesty and stunningly well-observed, a cast of flawed characters with regrets and compassion aplenty combine to make for a steadily engrossing and truly memorable story.
Johnny and Pauline MacKinnon have owned Bold City Ice plant for the past two decades that were set in motion when young Scot, Johnny, left his native home to pursue lucrative employment at an ice factory in Florida. Finding love with the bosses daughter, Pauline, and eventually marrying into the family business, the couple remain instrumental to the functioning of the factory, located in the run-down, predominantly black and deprived neighbourhood of Little Silver, Jacksonville. Leaving work to return to their comfortable home on Watchers Island, the outlook should be fairly optimistic for the couple, but with the ice plant facing an appeal against devastating fines following a claim of negligence after an ammonia gas leak and Johnny diagnosed with a potentially cancerous brain tumour, it presents perhaps a final opportunity for Johnny to make peace with his estranged only son whom he left behind in Scotland. A near year long war of silence has endured since Pauline’s ring went missing after Corran stayed with the couple following his third relapse into heroin addiction and a spell in rehab funded by remortgaging the MacKinnon home. Despite amicably divorced Johnny’s first wife back in Scotland, Sharon, attesting to Corran’s sobriety and Pauline’s urging, his obdurate nature has seen Johnny holding out for an apology which might never come.
When Johnny is forced to take a leave of absence from the ice floor and avoid stress ahead of brain surgery he uses the time as an opportunity to travel to Scotland with his zany teenage neighbour acting as chauffeur in a last ditch bid to salvage his relationship with Corran and meet granddaughter, Lucy. As the oddball duo descend on good-natured, straight-forward Sharon, she too is fighting fires including managing her second husbands increasingly foggy memory. As Smith delves into the chequered backstory of Corran she presents an insight into his grievances with a father whom he feels has moved on to a new life and turned his back on the harsh realities of life on the other side of the pond. Smith’s realistic insight into Corran’s daily battle with heroin is movingly authentic and makes evident the struggle not to relapse therefore casting his character in a sympathetic light.
Leaving Pauline to handle the impending appeal and worry of her husband travelling given the chances of a seizure, Johnny’s journey opens up the path for Pauline to overcome her own regrets and drill down into the lives of two of Bold City Ice’s most invested employees, lead engineer, Roy Grassi and Pauline’s assistant and best friend, Claire Kaplan. Smith’s cast are beautifully drawn and very real people facing a series of relatable issues as they navigate the trials and tribulations of daily life. From financial hardship to missed opportunities, old age and protecting those that we love, each of the central characters have their own dilemmas to contend with and with the fate of the ice plant hanging in the balance it sees them all take stock.
The novel is something of a slow starter as the set-up takes a while to be fleshed out in enough detail to become involving, but the animated characters leap from the page, immediately drawing the readers into their lives. From the disparity between the hardship of life for the community in Little Silver with the relative opulence of the MacKinnon’s, to the raw winds and cold of the Scottish coast with the stifling heat and drone of the cicadas in Florida, it is these contrasts which are the backdrop to a story about meeting in the middle and letting bygones be bygone. Likewise, the evolving character arcs open up the opportunity to recognise the similarities between Johnny and his similarly stubborn son and unfocused Chemal and Corran prior to becoming a father himself.
The Ice House is on the lengthy side given the central focus on Johnny recognising the importance of resolving the tensions and animosity between he and his only son, Corran. Whilst other characters do face their own crossroads, such as Pauline’s regret at never becoming a mother and her relationship with her bigoted father, Packy Knight, they feel like a sideshow to the overarching Johnny-Corran thread. For such a vast story I would have appreciated a more well-rounded look at not only Pauline, but loyal Bold City Ice employee Roy Grassi and misunderstood misfit neighbour, Chemal. I was also disappointed by what felt like a hasty conclusion with rather too neat solutions to the multitude of problems swiftly emerging. However, overall The Ice House is a witty, heartfelt look at a family reflecting and reconnecting, and is a literary story full of contentious discussion points. Readers irked by the presence of dialect may find Smith’s novel hard to contend with but, for the most part, the writing is vividly descriptive and full of humane observations on life’s obstacles. An absorbing, genuinely touching and quietly profound drama that emphasises the importance of family life.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
The Ice House is a multifaceted family drama centred on a family in crises as circumstances conspire to leave fifty-three-year-old Scottish born protagonist, Johnny MacKinnon, on the brink of losing his livelihood and contemplating a bleak medical prognosis. Faced with potentially a final opportunity to heal rifts and make some difficult decisions, Laura Lee Smith serves up a sprawling look at the lives of those surrounding the man, from Johnny’s estranged thirty-year-old son, Corran, to the employees on the floor of the ice factory he and locally born second wife, Pauline, own and run. Full of insights, honesty and stunningly well-observed, a cast of flawed characters with regrets and compassion aplenty combine to make for a steadily engrossing and truly memorable story.
Johnny and Pauline MacKinnon have owned Bold City Ice plant for the past two decades that were set in motion when young Scot, Johnny, left his native home to pursue lucrative employment at an ice factory in Florida. Finding love with the bosses daughter, Pauline, and eventually marrying into the family business, the couple remain instrumental to the functioning of the factory, located in the run-down, predominantly black and deprived neighbourhood of Little Silver, Jacksonville. Leaving work to return to their comfortable home on Watchers Island, the outlook should be fairly optimistic for the couple, but with the ice plant facing an appeal against devastating fines following a claim of negligence after an ammonia gas leak and Johnny diagnosed with a potentially cancerous brain tumour, it presents perhaps a final opportunity for Johnny to make peace with his estranged only son whom he left behind in Scotland. A near year long war of silence has endured since Pauline’s ring went missing after Corran stayed with the couple following his third relapse into heroin addiction and a spell in rehab funded by remortgaging the MacKinnon home. Despite amicably divorced Johnny’s first wife back in Scotland, Sharon, attesting to Corran’s sobriety and Pauline’s urging, his obdurate nature has seen Johnny holding out for an apology which might never come.
When Johnny is forced to take a leave of absence from the ice floor and avoid stress ahead of brain surgery he uses the time as an opportunity to travel to Scotland with his zany teenage neighbour acting as chauffeur in a last ditch bid to salvage his relationship with Corran and meet granddaughter, Lucy. As the oddball duo descend on good-natured, straight-forward Sharon, she too is fighting fires including managing her second husbands increasingly foggy memory. As Smith delves into the chequered backstory of Corran she presents an insight into his grievances with a father whom he feels has moved on to a new life and turned his back on the harsh realities of life on the other side of the pond. Smith’s realistic insight into Corran’s daily battle with heroin is movingly authentic and makes evident the struggle not to relapse therefore casting his character in a sympathetic light.
Leaving Pauline to handle the impending appeal and worry of her husband travelling given the chances of a seizure, Johnny’s journey opens up the path for Pauline to overcome her own regrets and drill down into the lives of two of Bold City Ice’s most invested employees, lead engineer, Roy Grassi and Pauline’s assistant and best friend, Claire Kaplan. Smith’s cast are beautifully drawn and very real people facing a series of relatable issues as they navigate the trials and tribulations of daily life. From financial hardship to missed opportunities, old age and protecting those that we love, each of the central characters have their own dilemmas to contend with and with the fate of the ice plant hanging in the balance it sees them all take stock.
The novel is something of a slow starter as the set-up takes a while to be fleshed out in enough detail to become involving, but the animated characters leap from the page, immediately drawing the readers into their lives. From the disparity between the hardship of life for the community in Little Silver with the relative opulence of the MacKinnon’s, to the raw winds and cold of the Scottish coast with the stifling heat and drone of the cicadas in Florida, it is these contrasts which are the backdrop to a story about meeting in the middle and letting bygones be bygone. Likewise, the evolving character arcs open up the opportunity to recognise the similarities between Johnny and his similarly stubborn son and unfocused Chemal and Corran prior to becoming a father himself.
The Ice House is on the lengthy side given the central focus on Johnny recognising the importance of resolving the tensions and animosity between he and his only son, Corran. Whilst other characters do face their own crossroads, such as Pauline’s regret at never becoming a mother and her relationship with her bigoted father, Packy Knight, they feel like a sideshow to the overarching Johnny-Corran thread. For such a vast story I would have appreciated a more well-rounded look at not only Pauline, but loyal Bold City Ice employee Roy Grassi and misunderstood misfit neighbour, Chemal. I was also disappointed by what felt like a hasty conclusion with rather too neat solutions to the multitude of problems swiftly emerging. However, overall The Ice House is a witty, heartfelt look at a family reflecting and reconnecting, and is a literary story full of contentious discussion points. Readers irked by the presence of dialect may find Smith’s novel hard to contend with but, for the most part, the writing is vividly descriptive and full of humane observations on life’s obstacles. An absorbing, genuinely touching and quietly profound drama that emphasises the importance of family life.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
December 16, 2017
Wow, what a book. I often do not enjoy books like this but this one really grabbed me. It started off a little slow, and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The setting of the scene in the beginning was a little formulaic in its description of the physical scenery and the characters' appearances. But once we got to the story, it really got my attention. There are a lot of characters and a lot of perspectives in the narrative, and while sometimes that either muddies things, or the characters don't have a distinctive voice, the characters were written very well. I especially related to Pauline, as she's my age and had some other similarities in her experiences and perspective, but all the characters were believable and compelling, in my opinion. When you can write a middle-aged woman and a son dealing with heroin addiction and the middle-aged man equally well, that's impressive. The ending was a little predictable, but not necessarily so, and there's drama right up to the last page. I haven't read this author before, but now I want to go back and check some of her other work.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2018
Good book, great story, excellent characters, darn fine writing. Time well spent on this one.
January 18, 2018
Received a review copy.
Surprisingly good and engrossing; didn't want to put it down, but had to close my eyes to sleep a few hours before finishing this on a snowday from work. The first few pages made me think it'd be a typical tropey 'southern' fiction novel, but the writer's clever turn of phrase and wit reeled me in
Johnny & Pauline are in their 50s, have been married 25 years. They run an ice plant in Jacksonville, FL that Pauline inherited from her wealthy racist father. They're in trouble with OSHA and face fines for an ammonia leak into the mostly poor, black neighborhood where the plant operates. Johnny is Scottish and estranged from his 30-year old heroin-junkie son. And Pauline spends lots of time begging Johnny to make nice with his son, who lives in Scotland. Anyway, it's a charming read. My two favorite characters are Chemal, their anachronistic KISS-lovin' neighbor, and the lemon-stealing guy who lives near their plant.
You see the characters change/gain new insight into their lives and relationships, and I think that's what I liked most of all; they seem to come through hardship as better people. Pauline comes to terms with her white privilege and wealth gained by her father's racism and violence. And Johnny & his son eventually bond over a traumatic event.
Surprisingly good and engrossing; didn't want to put it down, but had to close my eyes to sleep a few hours before finishing this on a snowday from work. The first few pages made me think it'd be a typical tropey 'southern' fiction novel, but the writer's clever turn of phrase and wit reeled me in
Johnny & Pauline are in their 50s, have been married 25 years. They run an ice plant in Jacksonville, FL that Pauline inherited from her wealthy racist father. They're in trouble with OSHA and face fines for an ammonia leak into the mostly poor, black neighborhood where the plant operates. Johnny is Scottish and estranged from his 30-year old heroin-junkie son. And Pauline spends lots of time begging Johnny to make nice with his son, who lives in Scotland. Anyway, it's a charming read. My two favorite characters are Chemal, their anachronistic KISS-lovin' neighbor, and the lemon-stealing guy who lives near their plant.
You see the characters change/gain new insight into their lives and relationships, and I think that's what I liked most of all; they seem to come through hardship as better people. Pauline comes to terms with her white privilege and wealth gained by her father's racism and violence. And Johnny & his son eventually bond over a traumatic event.
January 8, 2019
I absolutely LOVED this novel from Laura Lee Smith. Though the book is on the long side, my interest never flagged--I only dreaded the moment where I'd turn the last page. The author has a gift for breathing life into her characters, both the main narrators (a middle-aged married couple) and the less central quirky but endearing characters. She also did a marvelous job of bringing two very different settings to life--Jacksonville FL and Glasgow, Scotland. The plot was rich with twists--an estranged son, a brain tumor, a failing family business, middle-aged regrets--that never felt forced. Though the writing was lovely, it never drew attention to itself. Loved it!
January 4, 2019
I love reading fictional stories about businesses. I was overjoyed at receiving a copy to review. Quite a lot goes on this heartbreaking journey. Johnny and his wife Pauline have an ice business. It was Pauline that wrote the business plan. Unfortunately Johnny isn't happy that his wife made herself the Chief Executive Officer and he was made as Chief Operating Officer. I had to laugh as the staff nickname named Johnny as Ice. Something I don't like is dishonesty and Johnny wants to forge government documents. An accident happens at their business Bold a City Ice factory. Johnny starts getting headaches that lead to complications. To add to the heartbreaking mixture in the scenes, Johnny's son Corran is a drug addict. I really enjoyed reading about all the characters. I haven't read anything by this author Laura Lee Smith before, but now I'm aware of this author I'm looking forward to reading her next instalment.
February 22, 2018
For the first 150 pages or so, I thought I was reading a 5 star book. The early descriptions of the ice plant and its workers was hilarious. I had a feel for what I thought might happen. Then everything changes and the book goes a different direction. I still liked it, but struggled with some of the later characters who just didn’t seem believable to the story. All’s well that ends well. Smith had an interesting blend of all different ages of characters.
August 6, 2019
I was captivated from beginning to end. The beautiful writing and skillful storytelling makes for a wonderful read.
December 17, 2020
It was a long long read. Not bad. Not the best. Maybe it wasn't what I was feeling right now. But the story was nice!!
May 30, 2017
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Pretty much a solid three. At times I really liked; other I could have walked away. The story wavered between engaging and not.
Set in current day Florida, The Ice House is an ice factory owned [inherited] by Pauline [50], and her Scottish husband, Johnny [53]--who may, or may not, have a brain tumor. Johnny has a son, Corran, by his first wife, Sharon, now remarried to Toole; all are friendly. Corran was addicted to heroin; now clean, is sole custodian of his baby, Lucy. Corran's wife, Anna, is currently in prison for trying to smuggle drugs. And then there's the employees of the Ice House. And General San Jose, Pauline and Johhny's aging daschund. And my favorite character, the teenage neighbor, Chemal [17, male]. The factory is under investigation from OSHA following an accident. Phew.
So not without drama. In fact, though at times I was drawn into the story, what kept me going was wanting to find out how it ended. And, the various descriptions that made me smile. Here are some of my favorites: "...decaying houses that were nothing but termites holidng hands..." An MRI as a "medical fire drill" and "...dealt a deathblow to the dwindling coffee cake" [i.e., eating it]. The office microwave looking like a murder scene on the inside. "wearing rubber Crocs that made his feet look like large hooves..." And many more.
I liked how the story ended. No spoiler alert, rather neat but not too much.
Set in current day Florida, The Ice House is an ice factory owned [inherited] by Pauline [50], and her Scottish husband, Johnny [53]--who may, or may not, have a brain tumor. Johnny has a son, Corran, by his first wife, Sharon, now remarried to Toole; all are friendly. Corran was addicted to heroin; now clean, is sole custodian of his baby, Lucy. Corran's wife, Anna, is currently in prison for trying to smuggle drugs. And then there's the employees of the Ice House. And General San Jose, Pauline and Johhny's aging daschund. And my favorite character, the teenage neighbor, Chemal [17, male]. The factory is under investigation from OSHA following an accident. Phew.
So not without drama. In fact, though at times I was drawn into the story, what kept me going was wanting to find out how it ended. And, the various descriptions that made me smile. Here are some of my favorites: "...decaying houses that were nothing but termites holidng hands..." An MRI as a "medical fire drill" and "...dealt a deathblow to the dwindling coffee cake" [i.e., eating it]. The office microwave looking like a murder scene on the inside. "wearing rubber Crocs that made his feet look like large hooves..." And many more.
I liked how the story ended. No spoiler alert, rather neat but not too much.
June 13, 2018
I've been in a bit of a slump recently with novels, finding so many of them disappointing. It's such a delight to have found this book, which was absolutely wonderful.
The Ice House of the title is technically an ice cube factory in Jacksonville Florida. Pauline and Johnny MacKinnon are the owners, but their lives are personally entwined with a few of their trusted employees. Johnny has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour, and before undergoing surgery, he has an urgent desire to try to reconcile with his estranged son back in Scotland. At the same time, the factory's future is in jeopardy because of an inexplicable ammonia leak that leaves them facing crushing fines from the government.
These characters are so real, so moving in their complexity. At the same time as she is developing these personalities in the novel, the author is also lyrical in her descriptions of Florida and Scotland. You can feel the humidity of an early Florida morning and smell the cold North Atlantic air.
I really cared about these people and wanted so badly for things to work out. It's been a while since I've read a book like this. I loved it.
The Ice House of the title is technically an ice cube factory in Jacksonville Florida. Pauline and Johnny MacKinnon are the owners, but their lives are personally entwined with a few of their trusted employees. Johnny has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour, and before undergoing surgery, he has an urgent desire to try to reconcile with his estranged son back in Scotland. At the same time, the factory's future is in jeopardy because of an inexplicable ammonia leak that leaves them facing crushing fines from the government.
These characters are so real, so moving in their complexity. At the same time as she is developing these personalities in the novel, the author is also lyrical in her descriptions of Florida and Scotland. You can feel the humidity of an early Florida morning and smell the cold North Atlantic air.
I really cared about these people and wanted so badly for things to work out. It's been a while since I've read a book like this. I loved it.
February 2, 2018
A story about family, forgiveness, and all that goes into getting through the rough spots, it had many elements to which I could relate. The characters are basically good people who can't seem to connect to each other. There's the bull-headed patriarch, struggling to understand his drug addicted son while dealing with the possibility of losing his business. There's the unhappy wife who's looking for purpose and her lost youth. There's the fearful son who's trying to raise his infant daughter alone. And, perhaps one of the most interesting characters, there's the boy next door who seems like a loser, but has a heart of gold and many gifts to offer. Even the minor characters are well developed and I found myself cheering all the players on, hoping for their success. The writing is descriptive, humorous, and the dialogue was 'real'. Yes, the ending might be a little too pat, but that's okay with me - I'm tired of books that are nothing but doom and gloom.
February 28, 2018
Johnny MacKinnon is leading a good life, but suddenly changes start to occur. First, there is an accident in the ice factory (where he is the COO), and then comes the OSHA investigation, which may result in a fine so big that he and his wife will be forced to shut down the factory. To make matters worse, Johnny collapses on the factory floor, and after an MRI is told that he may have a brain tumor. Furthermore, he and his son have not spoken to each other in months.
Johnny is not happy with how everything has unfolded, but there is not much he can do about it. So instead of panicking, he decides to take a trip and visit his son and granddaughter, leaving his wife to take care of the lawyers and the investigation.
Full review available at: Bookreporter
Johnny is not happy with how everything has unfolded, but there is not much he can do about it. So instead of panicking, he decides to take a trip and visit his son and granddaughter, leaving his wife to take care of the lawyers and the investigation.
Full review available at: Bookreporter
February 16, 2018
Wow. Loved this book. The characters are, as one reviewer put it, "exquisitely human" and the author paints a convincing and touching portrait of each. I found the book harder to put down as my reading progressed, and I probably didn't get enough sleep last night because of it. The story itself is one about a family handling medical, personal and financial crises in the middle of an OSHA investigation into an accident at the family owned business. The author tells the story with a small dose of humor, which only endeared the characters more to me. The book really grabbed me when Chemal, the teenage stepson of their neighbor entered the picture. What a charmer.....Dude!
December 29, 2017
I was originally a little puzzled how a story about an ice plant in Jacksonville, Florida could possibly be the stuff of great literature. Joyfully, I was wrong. The Bold City Ice factory is a glacial setting teeming with some of the greatest people (and a dog) that I have ever met in a book. It is about facing adversity, flawed humanity, the healing power of forgiveness and love that binds the whole hot mess together.
February 4, 2020
Sometimes it takes a couple of pages or even chapters to slot into the rythm of another author and a new story but this had me from the first sentence. I loved this tale of a fractured family spanning across two continents, a story of regret, redemption, forgiveness and new beginnings. So well written, great characters, I loved them all and so funny in places.
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