Where The Heart Is (unabridged)

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Summary: WHAT A WARM, DELIGHTFUL, FEEL-GOOD BOOK!
Review: Once I started this book I couldn't put it down! I was so drawn to the main character that I wanted to see how her life was going to end up! Unlike many of the other Oprah Bookclub books, the main character in this book is NOT a victim. She turns an unfortunate situation into a positive one and turns her life around! The book is a fast read, that's warm, touching, lively, entertaining and funny. Read it - you'll be glad you did!

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Summary: It touched my heart.
Review: A charming story filled with wonderful characters and a leading lady whose spirit ceases to amaze me. Some think it isn't realistic -- so what? The book touched my heart and moved me in ways I can't really explain. No one should ever feel that they don't deserve "the pick of the litter." PS I'm glad I'm a Wal-Mart stockholder.

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Summary: A story to be read on a cold, rainy January afternoon.
Review: "Where the Heart Is" by Billie Letts is a very entertaining and satisfying story about what life is like in Anytown, Main Street, USA. It is a story about people who reach out and help their neighbors through the bad times as well as the good times. I enjoyed this book tremendously, and it is refreshing to finally read a book that doesn't make you run from despair. This is a book that definitely belongs on the shelves of every school library across the US. Thanks Oprah, for your recommendation. Keep up the good work!

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Summary: Too bad Oprah revived this one
Review: I read this book before all the Oprah-driven hype. I found it disgusting. Imagine my shock when Oprah performed CPR on it and caused it to be reissued. Why would anyone want to write about degenerate behavior, and why would anyone else want to read it? I gave up on it. This is not a subject for entertainment. Too bad this book was not allowed to fizzle into well-deserved obscurity. It reads like a script for a bad made-for-TV movie. Oprah, we deserve better. And could we please have an option on this rating system for zero stars?

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Summary: truly enjoyable read
Review: One of the best of Oprah's suggestions! I enjoyed the characters and the warmth. With all the troubles Novalee faced, what joy she found! This is a book you will not want to put down.

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Summary: Easy reading book with some thought provoking one-liners!
Review: Being from a small town in Texas, I could relate to the "Wal-Mart scene!" I enjoyed the book very much and did not want to put it down or want it to end! Novalee was an interesting character and so were her friends. I wish the world were filled with more Sister Husbands! How about a Part II?

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Summary: A Good read, but not a Great one
Review: Billie Letts has a talent authentic description of small town life, but her characters are a little less convincing. I do believe that people who are as stupidly trusting as Novalee exist, but it's a stretch to believe that she comes out OK with the help of her quirky aquaintences. Her first day around the Wal-Mart meeting strange but super-friendly people sounds like something out a of Sesame Street plot, and the events that take place in the book were interesting enough to keep my attention if not gain my respect for Letts' sense of realistic fiction. What exactly is she trying to say? That things work out for those who are pure of spirit and trusting as sheep? I hope not. I was entertained, to say the most, but I more liked Letts' book 'Honk and Holler Opening Soon'. Another small-town novel about gritty, quirky people who are a little more real with sin. That book didn't make the Oprah list, but it should have.

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Summary: Wow!!! What A Great Book!!!!
Review: Novalee Nation is stranded in a WAl-Mart parking lot after her no-good boyfriend leaves her there. Novalee sets up house in the Wal-Mart after hours, and decides life isn't so bad after all. She meets Sister Husband, who invites her and her baby Americus, to live with her. Novalee gains many friends throughout this book, one being Forney Hull. This is a great book, and is hard to put down until it's finished. Oprah deserves an "A" for this one!!!!

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Summary: Two hours of my life that I will never get back were wasted.
Review: It serves me right for buying another Oprah selection. When am I going to learn that even if Oprah makes it sound good, a book with such a ridiculous premise is not going to work. My six year old son could have come up with a story that was more realistic, less contrived and less predictable.

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Summary: It made me laugh and it made me cry - a great book!
Review: If a novel makes me laugh and cry, then I consider it a great book. Where the Heart Is did that for me. It is a creative story about realistic people and the joys and trials they face in life. It was inspiring to see the life that Novalee made for herself despite cruel circumstances that she had faced. Way to go, Oprah!