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Oprah Book Club® Selection, December 1998: A funny thing happens to Novalee Nation on her way to Bakersfield, California. Her ne'er-do-well boyfriend, Willie Jack Pickens, abandons her in an Oklahoma Wal-Mart and takes off on his own, leaving her with just 10 dollars and the clothes on her back. Not that hard luck is anything new to Novalee, who is "seventeen, seven months pregnant, thirty-seven pounds overweight--and superstitious about sevens.... For most people, sevens were lucky. But not for her," Billie Letts writes. "She'd had a bad history with them, starting with her seventh birthday, the day Momma Nell ran away with a baseball umpire named Fred..."
Still, finding herself alone and penniless in Sequoyah, Oklahoma is enough to make even someone as inured to ill fortune as Novalee want to give up and die. Fortunately, the Wal-Mart parking lot is the Sequoyah equivalent of a town square, and within hours Novalee has met three people who will change her life: Sister Thelma Husband, a kindly eccentric; Benny Goodluck, a young Native American boy; and Moses Whitecotton, an elderly African American photographer. For the next two months, Novalee surreptitiously makes her home in the Wal-Mart, sleeping there at night, exploring the town by day. When she goes into labor and delivers her baby there, however, Novalee learns that sometimes it's not so bad to depend on the kindness of strangers--especially if one of them happens to be Sam Walton, the superchain's founder.
Where the Heart Is oddly mixes heart-warming vignettes and surprising, brutal violence. Novalee's story is juxtaposed with occasional chapters chronicling Willy Jack's downward spiral into prison, disappointment, and degradation. And even in Sequoyah, sudden storms, domestic violence, kidnapping, and deadly fires punctuate Novalee's progress from homeless, unwed teen mom to successful, happy member of the community. This is not a subtle book; there's never any doubt that our heroine will make a home for herself and her baby or that Willy Jack will get what he deserves for abandoning them. Still, Billie Letts has created several memorable characters, and there's always room for another novel that celebrates the life-affirming qualities of reading, the importance of education, and the power of love to change lives. --Alix Wilber
From Publishers Weekly
Letts's debut novel concerns a pregnant teenage girl who finds a new life among the quirky inhabitants of a small town in Oklahoma.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
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First Sentence
NOVALEE NATION, seventeen, seven months pregnant, thirty-seven pounds overweight-and superstitious about sevens-shifted uncomfortably in the seat of the old Ply-mouth and ran her hands down the curve of her belly. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
NOVALEE NATION, seventeen, seven months pregnant, thirty-seven pounds overweight-and superstitious about sevens-shifted uncomfortably in the seat of the old Ply-mouth and ran her hands down the curve of her belly. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
My heart was with this book!,
By Kelsey B. (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Where the Heart Is (Paperback)
In Billie Letts' novel "Where the Heart Is," she creates a loving and heartwarming story about a young woman trying to establish herself as a positive role model for her daughter and keep up with the fast paced changes life throws in her direction. The novel follows Novalee Nation, a young woman of 17 who gives birth to a baby girl in the most unlikely place: a Wal-Mart store. Knowing no one in the small town of Sequoyah, Oklahoma where she was abandoned by her boyfriend, she is forced to find friends and support from a whole host of characters. There's Sister Thelma Husband, who opens her home to Novalee and helps raise her daughter Americus. Forney, the librarian, who teaches Novalee some of the most important lessons about love and friendship. Lexie, the nurse who befriended Novalee in the hospital after Americus was born, who taught her important lessons about family, and that life can change in a single moment and not to take anything for granted. All of the characters are so well developed and they add something unique to the story that makes it such a great read. Billie Letts does an excellent job of placing the reader in Sequoyah, mostly because she has lived there before and knows the ways to make a reader feel as though they are experiencing the dry heat of Oklahoma and the tornado that whips through the town, leaving a huge impact on the life of Novalee. It was a very easy read, not a lot of overwhelming detail. Just enough to evoke an image in your mind of the characters and the setting, and to get a solid understanding of the feelings and emotions of the characters. I really loved the bond between Novalee and Americus, and how the emphasis on family was so important. Novalee was such a strong character and the way she worked hard to provide the best life she could for her daughter was so clear. She had her share of struggles throughout the story, such as losing her job, the loss of someone very close to her, lessons on heartache and love, and facing her fears of becoming an adult while she's still a teenager. Lexie is also a character who learns many lessons about the importance of family after a traumatic event leaves her and her kids with nothing but hope left to get them through life. Lexie was my favorite character, though, as she not only added humorous levels to the book, but also showed great elements of strength and hope. "Where the Heart Is" is such a strong book and it was very hard to put down. I enjoyed every character and though the situations did get intense at times, the feeling of love and compassion that the characters had for one another shone through establishing the element of hope found in the novel. Billie Letts is a great author who knows how to write a book that will touch your heart and provide you with a real page-turner.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book,
By Brown Sugar (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Where the Heart Is (Paperback)
This is a wonderful novel that will make you feel good after reading it. The characters are very likable and the overall tone is tender and warm. Although a bit predictable, Where the Heart Is will not disappoint.
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVED IT!!!!,
By
This review is from: Where the Heart Is (Paperback)
I absolutely LOVED this book! I can't even tell you how many times I have read this book!The characters are awesome and reading about them makes me want to meet them. They are all so fun-loving and they seem like really great people! After reading the book, I bought the movie and the movie doesn't do justice to how incredibly great this book was! Everyone should read this book, it teaches you about life and how you shouldn't take things for granted! Again, AWESOME book!
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