Homer and Elsie Hickam were from West Virginia, where tales are tall and aplenty, and as a result, Carrying Albert Home is a blend of fact and fiction stemming from stories they used to tell their son, the author of the novel.
Homer Hickam was a kind-hearted coal miner who married the headstrong and feisty Elsie but she carried a not-so-secret yearning for her friend and Hollywood actor Buddy Ebsen. When Elsie receives a baby alligator from Buddy as a wedding gift, she instantly falls in love with the reptile and names him Albert. Because Homer adores his wife, he builds a pond in the garden for Albert and puts up with the fact that Elsie seems to love her pet more than she loves him. After two years and many pieces of raw chicken, Albert has grown into a large creature whose “playful” nips result in Homer giving his wife an ultimatum: Albert goes or he does. Begrudgingly, Elsie agrees to take Albert home to Florida (and Buddy), and the couple embarks on a 1 600km journey full of twists, turns and detours that teach them more about themselves than they could ever have imagined.
Set in 1935 during The great Depression, Carrying Albert Home is a fanciful story that sees Elsie and Homer caught up in a host of adventures – from being revolutionaries and film extras to rubbing shoulders with bootleggers, bank robbers and sea captains. It’s a lighthearted, fun, easy read that will have you asking, “What next?” at the end of every chapter.
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