Set in 1956, this is the story of Icy, a 10-year-old girl with Tourette`s syndrome who has been raised in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky by her grandparents. She does her best to hide the jerks and spasms brought on by her disorder, but the other kids call her the Frog Child , and eventually Icy is sent to a children`s asylum. Upon her return, she meets the eccentric Miss Emily, who assists her in assimilating into the world again. Author Rubio`s debut novel has been favorably compared to the work of fellow female Southern writers Harper Lee and Eudora Welty. A New York Times Notable Book for 1998.