Book Review

Letts, Billie. Where the Heart is. New York: Warner Books, 1998. Print

Novalee Nation is only 17 and she is seven months pregnant. At the beginning of the story she is on her way to California with her boyfriend Willie Jack Pickens. She is alone and the only person she has to depend on is her boyfriend, and he is the least bit kind to her. They make a stop at a Wal-Mart in Oklahoma for Novalee to use the bathroom and when she comes back out to meet her boyfriends she realizes she has been left stranded, with only seven dollars, in the middle of no where. Novalee than begins to secretly live in the Wal-Mart, where she spends her every waking moment. After two months of living in the Wal-Mart, Novalee gives birth to her daughter Americus. To say that Novalee was scared is an understatement. She is alone and has no idea what to do. She befriends a lady named Sister Husband who takes her and Americus in to her home and clothes and feeds them. Novalee does her share around the house to try and make up for not paying for rent. She eventually is encouraged by another dear friend, Sam Walton to pursue her love of photography; which in turn helps her to start bringing in some money for her and her daughter. Novalee has to fight throughout the whole book to take care of her and her daughter, but by the end of the story she learns what true friendship really is and what it means to be a fighter! This story has a a good message of love and friendship. The fight of Novalee Nation is one of extreme determination and faith. It is very interesting and helps the reader to think about life from a different perspective. The best scene from this book is when Novalee gives birth to her daughter. She is forced to trust complete strangers and in turn this leads to her developing three deep friendships with people she never thought would accept her as their friend. The book
can become a little slow towards the middle, but if the reader stays strong in their reading, they will realize what a great novel they read. This book is not meant for all people. Young men may not enjoy it as much as women. The book is useful in encouraging people to be strong and determined in whatever they set their mind to. If this book could be rated overall it would be given a four star rating for its level of interest and the strong message behind it.

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