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.
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Laura Lee Smith is the author of the novel Heart of Palm. Her short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories; New Stories from the South: The Year's Best; New England Review; and other journals. She lives in Florida.
Praise for Heart of Palm
"Intelligence, heart, wit . . . Laura Lee Smith has all the tools, and Heart of Palm is a very impressive first novel."--Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls
"Incandescent."-- O, the Oprah Magazine
"[A] fine, funny first novel . . . A heaping dose of Southern soul with a whole lot of chutzpah thrown in."--Atlanta Journal Constitution
"A knockout . . . It reminded me often of the novels of Richard Russo . . . Smith . . . creates a vivid sense of place . . . A fine, bittersweet taste of the Sunshine State."--Tampa Bay Times
"I could feel the heat, the glare off the Intracoastal. Like a sandspur, Heart of Palm sticks with you, drawing blood."--Rita Mae Brown, author of Southern Discomfort and Rubyfruit Jungle
"A spirited Southern family saga . . . Fans of Fannie Flagg will enjoy this novel."--Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Heart of Palm . . . will leave you crying, laughing, and longing for a bygone era."--Florida Travel + Life
"A big, engrossing and very Southern look at a family in turmoil, Heart of Palm is made to be read on a veranda during the steamy summer months."--Arizona Republic
"Smith's debut novel exudes authenticity . . . She turns a phrase with wit . . . Writ[ten] with agility and empathy."--Publishers Weekly
"Smith is a brilliant writer, and Heart of Palm brims with lush vitality, loss, and desire."--Julianna Baggott, author of Pure and The Prince of Fenway Park
