Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam

Reviewed by Ambrea

In Carrying Albert Home, Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam Sr.—the future parents of author Homer Hickam Jr.—were high school classmates in West Virginia, before Elsie traveled to Orlando whereupon she met Buddy Ebsen, a dancer and actor (and, most notably, fell madly in love) and Homer set to work creating a life for himself in his hometown.  But when Elsie’s relationship with Buddy falls apart, Elsie returns to West Virginia and, much to her surprise, finds herself married to Homer.

To remember her carefree days in Florida, Buddy sends Elsie a wedding gift:  an alligator named Albert who lives in their bathtub.  But when Homer experiences an embarrassing (and, he claims, near fatal) incident with Albert, he gives Elsie an ultimatum—either he goes, or the alligator does.  Given some time to consider her options, Elsie decides she will return Albert to the Florida Everglades.

Elsie and Homer’s trip to Florida quickly turns into an adventure they won’t soon forget.

I enjoyed Carrying Albert Home.  It’s a sweet, quirky story (as foretold by the subscript) about two people making an oddball journey through the south to return an incredibly expressive alligator to his natural habitat.  I mean, it can’t get any stranger than that.  Okay, well, it can—and, frequently, does—as Elsie and Homer Sr. stumble across bank robbers, bootleggers, rioters, smugglers, serial killers, and all manner of sundry creatures on their journey south.

I also should note that I loved Albert.  He is, I think, the best alligator I’ve ever encountered in literature—but, then again, he may be the only alligator I’ve encountered thus far in my reading.  Nevertheless, I liked him (and the rooster, whose purpose is never fully explained) and their wild journey from West Virginia to the Sunshine State.  Their story, while highly unusual, is simultaneously hilarious and fun; more importantly, it’s never boring.

Hickam has a storyteller’s prose, weaving a tangled story of suspense and adventure and, ultimately, love.  Moreover, he manages to create wonderful characters that are sure to entertain readers.  Such as the odd, comically villainous duo of robbers Homer first encounters, or the bootlegger with whom Elsie spars.  It’s a strange gathering of people and animals that left me laughing and shaking my head for the absurdity.

As I was reading, I learned to like Elsie.  Headstrong, defiant, inventive and, yes, courageous in her own way, Elsie was a fascinating female character; however, I have to say I adored Homer Sr.  Although Homer is a simple man—a coal miner by trade whose only aspirations are a steady job and a happy family—he is a smart man who is loyal to a fault and loves Elsie with all his heart, even if he can’t always express it.

A lesser man wouldn’t have bothered with a trip to Florida; a lesser man would never have faced bank robbers, rioters (with dynamite), bootleggers, poetry-writing serial killers, smugglers, or hurricanes; a lesser man wouldn't have fought so hard for a woman who wasn't sure of her feelings.  It’s a sweet, though admittedly weird, love story that made me wonder from chapter-to-chapter, but I enjoyed it overall.

Although I enjoyed Carrying Albert Home, it is a very unusual book.  I don’t know if the author intentionally made certain parts of his novel vague, or if he was attempting to give depth and symbolism to Albert’s journey (or if he was merely having a laugh at his own story, which I’m more inclined to believe), but, either way, I often found myself thinking Elsie and Homer’s journey to Florida was much bigger than I understood—which often left me thinking I’d missed something.

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Reviewed by Jeanne

It’s been a year since Kate’s husband Matthew died suddenly, leaving a bewildered Kate unable to cope with everyday life.  Her mother-in-law, Cricket, has filled the void by making all the necessary decisions—and now, that includes selling Kate’s house and having Kate and granddaughter Devin move in with her.  Maybe it’s the boxes, maybe it’s Devin’s unhappiness, maybe it’s just one set of orders too many from Cricket, but all at once Kate feels the need to do something impulsive.  She remembers an idyllic summer at an old resort run by her Aunt Eby called Lost Lake, so off they go to Suley, Georgia.  Once there, they discover the resort is a shadow of its former self: the cabins desperately need repair, the roster of guests dwindling, and a developer is trying to buy the land. Will this be the last summer for Lost Lake?

As is usual with Allen’s work, the plots are less important than the people and the ambiance.  Her locations are these wonderful southeastern Never-Never Lands, where the peculiar is the norm, the food is succulent and buttery, where love dares all odds to make it to a happy-ever-after ending, and the characters are all slightly off-kilter and gently odd. There’s Lisette, the mute French chef who knows that words have a terrible power; Jack, the shy suitor who has adored Lisette for years but is too afraid to speak up; Bulahdeen, the elderly woman who takes joy in living and Bulahdeen’s friend, Selma, a ferocious husband-hunter; and Wes, who fell in love with Kate when they were children. There’s always a character or two whom I find particularly memorable.  In this case, it’s Selma, the unlikeable divorcee, who goes through husbands like tissue paper. She’s had seven of them, and now she’s looking for number eight.  At the end, she doesn’t change and is as prickly and defensive as ever, but we can accept her just as Bulahdeen does.  That’s another thing I enjoy about these books: for the most part, the unlovable characters don’t suddenly change to sweetness and light.  They remain true to themselves:  we just understand them a bit better.

And then there’s the alligator.

Or maybe there isn’t.  Everyone says there are no alligators in this part of Georgia.  Kate thought she saw an alligator and nearly ran off the road on the way in, but she hasn’t seen it since.  Devin does, though.  What’s more, the alligator talks to Devin.  He has a secret treasure he wants to share with her.

Unless, of course, there is no alligator.

That’s the heart of a Sarah Addison Allen novel.  If you’re not willing to suspend some disbelief, if you’re not going to go along with the flow, then you’re not going to enjoy this book. Also, if you like involved plots, you probably won’t enjoy this book.  SAA books are like a little slice of a childhood summer, languid and dreamy, where the most improbable things are entirely possible.  They’re a sultry summer evening with cool glasses of ice tea with fresh mint and the best banana pudding you’ve had since you last ate it at your grandmother’s, with the lightning bugs flashing, a shooting star to wish on,  and the occasional mosquito just to keep you on your toes.

And yes, I believe in the alligator.