Review of Carrying Albert Home

Carrying Albert Home

by Homer Hickam

I heard about Albert way before his fascinating story was revealed in Carrying Albert Home from Homer Hickam himself. As a fan and a follower of Mr. Hickam's work, I began noticing his own postings of photos of a stuffed alligator including selfies and travels as if the stuffed version of Albert were a Flat Stanley.

Via Homer Hickam Facebook

My curiosity was peaked.

It was not long before the bestselling author explained his new obsession with all things alligator. I was hooked and began anticipating the story to come.

I was not disappointed.

Carrying Albert Home is warm, funny and endearing. Fiction and non-fiction are blended together with such a delicate weave you don’t realize what is true and what is not. You however, are charmed by the main characters, Homer and Elsie as they struggle to understand their relationship. While humans can be so complicated, you add an alligator and a rooster and then it gets oddly weird but in a good way.

This story is so well told, revealing the affection the writer has for the characters, who are in fact, his real parents. You can’t help but smile as you read the Hickam’s wild adventures. Their road trip takes us through a time warp of an America that is far different from today’s culture.

As in Forest Gump fashion, the Hickam’s encounter a famous writer researching one of his iconic novels. He encourages Elsie to write, but as we all know it would be her son named Homer who would be the bestselling writer, but that's another story. See below:

Rocket Boys
The Memoir that October Sky is based on

Albert is the strangest alligator I have ever heard of and I grew up near New Orleans. I remember as a young girl, my father brought home a small one and it was scary, mean, and wanted to bite me.

Elsie must have been an alligator whisperer.

Elsie treats the creature like a beloved dog, petting and cuddling with it, which adds to the hilarity of the situation...and then you add a strange rooster to the mix.

(FYI: I have been attacked by a rooster, no love for them either....but I did have a pet chicken named Lovey who did a few tricks and would ride the bicycle with me!)

Still, after reading about the beloved Albert, I will NOT be going the swamps to collect a pet alligator.

From the beginning, you realize that Elsie Hickam is not happy with the way her life has turned out. She has unfulfilled dreams. This becomes a serious flaw in the relationship between her and her husband, Homer. This continuous struggle of miscues, misconceptions, and self-doubt keep us wondering if this marriage will endure.

Without giving anything away, its an amazing ride and worth the read. Somewhat true or not, it touches on real heartstrings and true human emotions.

Homer has done it again!I highly recommend this charming book!

My Hometown USA