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Homer Hickam pens new novel about his parents

Image from Williamson Daily News
Image from Williamson Daily News

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Homer Hickam, a southern W.Va. native and author of best-selling novel, “Rocket Boys,” has a new novel, “Carrying Albert Home,” that is scheduled for worldwide release in the month of October.

“Carrying Albert Home,” is the “mostly true” story of a favorite family legend. Hickam describes the novel as a “story about love and triumph.”

“It is the story of my parents in the 1930’s when they carried an alligator to Florida,” Hickam explained.

“My mother had moved to Florida after graduation and had a romance with actor, Buddy Ebsen. She eventually moved back and married my father. Buddy had sent the alligator as a wedding gift to my mother to remind her of their time in Florida. When the alligator became too big my mother agreed to no longer keep it as a pet on the condition that she would return the alligator to Florida,” Hickam continued.

Hickam explained the importance of telling the story of his parents. He felt that his parents were mischaracterized in the movie “October Sky,” which was based on the “Rocket Boys” novel.

“This gave me the opportunity to let people know the true story of my parents. My dad was a strong intellectual and my mother was not as weak as she was portrayed…

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