The Ice House

By: Laura Lee Smith

Narrated by: Aaron Abano

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 listeners will not soon forget. It firmly establishes Laura Lee Smith as a gifted voice in American fiction.

©2017 Laura Lee Smith (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Wonderful Story

I laughed out loud and cried a few tears. Highly recommend. Well written and a great performance.

Disappointing

I had enjoyed this author's first book, "West of Palm", so I purchased this pretty much without reading reviews. Maybe it's a case of sophomore slump, but this one is not as engaging as her first book. I thought the pacing was slow, most of the characters were abrasive, and the ending was anti-climatic. I also felt that the narrator was wrong for this story. He tried to use a Scottish accent, but something in his reading just didn't work for me. This was a disappointment.

Good story, Bad narration

Not a bad story, good enough to pass the time on a long road trip. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the narrator were better. He made every female voice sound insipid and whinny , it was cringe worthy.

ok but formula

it is a good listen in the car but follows a formula....you can predict what will happen next.
only the 17 year old teenager character has an interesting personality