STORY SUMMARY
It is the 1950s in rural Kentucky, the Appalachian mountains and the small village of Ginseng. It's not easy to grow up in this area of the States, and for 10 year old Icy Sparks, it is especially difficult.
She is an orphan and being raised by her grandparents. She calls her grandmother Matanni and her grandfather, Patanni. Icy at around age 10, begins to develop strange tics, gestures, jerking of the body, and violent verbal outbursts along with cursing. These symptoms are from a disorder...neurological...that will go undiagnosed until she begins college.
Icy's entire adolescence is marred by this strange disorder....but everyone thinks it's just Icy misbehaving. She suffers at the hands of an abusive 4th grade teacher, and then spends time in a state facility for children who are "different" aka special needs children. Her time there is short, but it's just long enough for her to question everything about her self, others, the world and to come to the conclusion that she will never fit in, never be touched, never be loved, and will eventually be all alone in the world like her neighbor Mamie Tillman and the only friend she really has, a very obese woman (the author uses the word fat), known as Miss Emily who also helps to homeschool Icy because Icy doesn't return to public school, although Mr Wooten, the elementary school principal, does visit her and brings her books. Miss Emily also brings her books.
Icy's world changes when Patanni dies suddenly. What will happen to her and Matanni? What happens when they attend the large tent revival and find Jesus?
Will Icy really become a person who has many friends like Miss Emily predicts?
MY THOUGHTS
This is a deeply moving book that is super emotional and uplifting but also emotional and tense.
I loved the character development and setting and I am just amazed at what was allowed in public schools back in the 1950s which really was child abuse at the hands of a teacher. I, being a teacher with a Masters of Science in Educational Psychology and Special Education did know the background of what was allowed in the USA public schools in the early part of the 20th century all the way up to the end of the 20th century (in some states), of course, but to read about it in fiction is very troubling and moving. My heart went out to Icy because no one could figure out what was going on in her little body.
There are sad parts, funny parts and deeply spiritual parts to this book.
You do find out at the end, during the epilogue, that the neurological disorder that Icy, a fictional character, endured is Tourette's Syndrome. I have had 2 students in my special education career who had Tourette's. I have also had several students in my career with echolalia. This is sometimes a part of Tourette's or it can also stand alone. You can read about Tourette's here. You can read about Echolalia here. I actually enjoyed teaching language to my preschool students with echolalia and learend alot about it my first 2 years of teaching as one child was with me at that time and I learned many teaching tips to get him to stop. Reading about Tourette's in a fictional character was very interesting to me. Icy did not have echolalia, though. Her Tourette's manifested in other ways.
There were several good quotes to come out of this book. I'll share two:
"One thing I've learned is that a person's plans don't always match up with God's." (pg 261, Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio c.1998)
"Ain't one of us perfect....but still the good Lord loves us. We're all a part of His creation." (pg 296)
One thing I really enjoyed were the various pieces of good old fashioned gospel hymns that were sung during the Revival meeting in town. The author had written parts of them out, and I found myself singing the words vs reading them. I really enjoyed that...brought back memories of being at church camp and my childhood Free Methodist church and college choir.
The main themes in this book are: the relationship between grandparents raising a grandchild; loneliness; differences; social stigma, child abuse by a teacher; bullying; parental death; betrayal, friendship, first love; grief; forgiveness; salvation; love; identity, acceptance; community; coming of age; survival.
I highly recommend this book!
I did find quite a few editing errors, mainly the word "he" for "she" or little things like that.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.
1 comment:
That book sounds interesting. I have only seen a person with Tourette's syndrome. I bet you were a great teacher!
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