Book Review: Where The Heart Is

Book: Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Where The Heart Is, is a very moving story. It follows Novalee Nation who at seventeen was seven months pregnant as she and her boyfriend Willy Jack Pickens traveled to California from Tellico Plains, Tennessee. When they stopped at a local Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma Novalee's life instantly changed. After going into the store to buy a pair of shoes, she returned to find Willy Jack gone. He left her, as she was nothing more than a bag of trash.

She couldn't believe it and some how she convinced herself that he was coming back. As she waited outside the store she met three people who would eventually become dear to her. First was the indomitable Sister Husband who although mistaking Novalee for someone else made her feel as if she was at home. Next was the compassionate Moses Whitecotton who made Novalee see the importance of life and a good name. And last was optimistic Benny Goodluck, a 10 year old boy who gave Novalee a little bit of luck.

But the longer she sat there all she could think was, "what was she supposed to do?" She knew no one there and there was no one in her life that she could have called. Whether it was good luck or bad, she found herself locked in the Wal-Mart. And from there she found a temporary solution to her problem. As the days and months went by, she would spend her nights living in the store while she spent her days roaming around town including visiting the library where she met a most peculiar man, Forney Hall. After that first awkward meeting, he made her realize that she could learn about anything from reading books.

Novalee's problems weren't forgotten because what was she going to do. She can't continue to live in the store but going into labor one night changed everything. She soon found herself with a new family: her daughter Americus and many of the townspeople.

This story takes place a little over seven years as Novalee makes her life in the small town. From a girl who really had no one in her life to a young woman who managed to find a whole group of people who showed her plenty of love.

I love this story because life is not all sunshine and sugar cookies but it's what we do with the hard times that really show us who we are. And Novalee's life prior to being stranded had been one bad situation after another but what I love is that it didn't change her. She could have become mean and bitter especially after being left but she still had this sunny outlook. Many of the characters experienced some sort of hardship but they got through it the best they could. Be forewarned, there are some difficult scenes in this especially a couple scenes dealing with an attack on Lexi and her children.

There was also a subplot that gave the reader little glimpses into Willy Jack's life after he left Novalee, with the two stories merging into one near the end.

This was a fast-paced, well-written, emotional and sometimes shocking story that blends humor, drama and a little romance with the everyday as it shows you that life is what you make of it.