The ice storm is a novel inspired by the author's memories.
It is about the birth of a deep friendship between two young girls. When one of them has a dream that the other will become her best friend, she is excited to meet her 'new best friend' in real life. When the two girls are trapped in a snowstorm, they have to build a shelter to survive. Trapped, they have nothing to do other than get to know each other. They use this opportunity to learn about their different cultures while we, the reader, learns about Canadian customs.