Where the Heart Is
A down on her luck pregnant teen finds herself living in a shopping center in this Oprah's Book Club selection that inspired the film starring Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman. Talk about unlucky sevens. An hour ago, seventeen-year-old, seven months pregnant Novalee Nation was heading for California with her boyfriend. Now she finds herself stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, with just $7.77 in change. But Novalee is about to discover hidden treasures in this small Southwest town-a group of down-to-earth, deeply caring people willing to help a homeless, jobless girl. From Bible-thumping blue-haired Sister Thelma Husband to eccentric librarian Forney Hull, they are about to take her-and you, too-on a moving, funny, and unforgettable journey.
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Community Reviews
Look, if I had to be abandoned anywhere, a 24-hour Wal-Mart would be high on the list—snacks, air conditioning, and a questionable life philosophy found in the clearance book section? Sign me up. Unfortunately, 17-year-old, very-pregnant Novalee Nation wasn’t exactly given a choice. Her deadbeat boyfriend dumps her in small-town Oklahoma with nothing but $7.77 and a lifetime supply of trust issues. But does she crumble? Absolutely not. She does what any rational person would do: secretly lives in the Wal-Mart like some kind of pregnancy-fueled suburban cryptid.
And you know what? It works for her. But this isn't just a story about squatting in the baby aisle—it’s about finding a real family in the most unexpected places. Enter a cast of quirky, endearing, sometimes deeply bizarre characters, including a Bible-thumping lady named Sister Husband (yes, that’s her real name, and no, I don’t know what her deal is either) and Forney Hull, the world’s most awkwardly devoted librarian who loves Novalee even when she’s too stubborn to love herself.
This book is a chaotic, heartwarming, occasionally tear-jerking rollercoaster that proves life can fall apart in a Wal-Mart parking lot and somehow come back together in the weirdest, most beautiful way. It’s hilarious, it’s heartfelt, and it will absolutely make you appreciate small-town weirdos. Five stars, and I will never look at a Wal-Mart the same way again.
And you know what? It works for her. But this isn't just a story about squatting in the baby aisle—it’s about finding a real family in the most unexpected places. Enter a cast of quirky, endearing, sometimes deeply bizarre characters, including a Bible-thumping lady named Sister Husband (yes, that’s her real name, and no, I don’t know what her deal is either) and Forney Hull, the world’s most awkwardly devoted librarian who loves Novalee even when she’s too stubborn to love herself.
This book is a chaotic, heartwarming, occasionally tear-jerking rollercoaster that proves life can fall apart in a Wal-Mart parking lot and somehow come back together in the weirdest, most beautiful way. It’s hilarious, it’s heartfelt, and it will absolutely make you appreciate small-town weirdos. Five stars, and I will never look at a Wal-Mart the same way again.
