Carrying Albert Home is a whimsical, heart-led road trip novel set in 1930s America. It follows Elsie Lavender and her husband Homer as they traverse a Depression-era landscape with a baby alligator named Albert riding in the back seat. This funny, emotionally rich journey is for readers who crave warmth, resilience, and a dash of adventure, especially those who love stories about unlikely companions and the enduring search for home.
Written with a warm, inviting voice, Carrying Albert Home unfolds in episodic, postcard-like chapters that move with the pace of a road trip. The journey is the engine, but the heart lies in Elsie’s stubborn courage and her surprising bond with Albert, a companion who reshapes every mile. The book blends humor with tenderness, offering vivid settings, memorable characters, and a storytelling rhythm that invites you to stay awhile.
From the bestselling author of Rocket Boys, Carrying Albert Home welcomes a colorful cast along the way—movie stars and revolutionaries, with cameos from Ernest Hemingway—that spark laughter, wonder, and reflection. It’s a ridge-drawn tale that feels like Big Fish in spirit, with the emotional depth of The Notebook, rooted in a distinctly American landscape and era.
- A cross-country road trip through 1930s America with Elsie, Homer, and Albert the alligator
- Humor, heart, and resilience as it explores love and the meaning of home
- Colorful encounters and a Hemingway cameo that add texture and surprise
- Episodic chapters, vivid period detail, and a warm, engaging voice
- Whimsical yet emotionally depthful storytelling that blends whimsy with insight
After finishing Carrying Albert Home, readers are left with a comforting sense of belonging and a renewed belief that home is something you carry with you. The journey leaves you hopeful about love’s endurance and the ways the quiet, unexpected bonds along the road can redefine what “home” really means.
