Rating: 
Summary: This reads like the novelization of a movie
Review: This book is vacuous and the characters seem like cheap imitations of quirky country folk. Walmart is depicted as some sort of haven for troubled souls which indicates that this book would have to have been written by an American. I am not surprised that Oprah picked this sappy, tugging at the heart strings book. The writing style is approachable and credible which redeems it slightly and allows it to earn two stars. The plot is thin and convoluted. What is clearly intended to be an inspirational "girl climbs her way from bottom to top" story is lost on me. I could not warm up to any of the characters including and especially Novalee.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome - moved me to tears
Review: This book moved me to tears on several occasions. It made me feel so good about people in the world and ensured me that thigns happen for a reason. I loved these characters. Kudos to Billie Letts for such awesome insight.
Rating:
Summary: A Heartwarming Story!
Review: This book will make you laugh, cry, and laugh again. It is a tremendous story that reaches out and grabs the attention of young and old folks alike. It potrays a story of hope, yet does not hide the trials and tribulations of acheiving dreams. The characters in this book show people what true kindness and love is. It also tells a story of how someone who can be so empty hearted in the end only gets hurt themselves. I would recommend this book in an instant. It is not difficult at all to read, and potrays a beautiful story. I hope that Billie Letts comes out with many more books like this one, because I now am a true fan due to this one book.
Rating:
Summary: Weak...but can pass as a beach novel
Review: It started out spellbinding and caught my attention from the get go. Young, pregnant girl- abandoned- and living in secret in a Walmart store where she's been dumped by her crumb of a boyfriend. (Admit it, isn't is a great fantasy to think of living in a store and getting to use all the merchandise at your leisure when no one is looking?). And then it got silly. Totally unrealistic. A little too predictable. Some authors can carry off nutty characters but Billie Letts didn't convince me with the people in this story. Novalee Nation is just a little too perfect in her abandonment. Just a little too wounded. The ending is pat and contrived. And then they went ahead and made a movie about this book? I heard that it, too, was pure drivel. Skip it unless it's the only book left in the doctor's office waiting room.
Rating:
Summary: DRIVEL
Review: Not my type of novel. If you want interesting Southern 'life lessons' read Frannie Flagg or Rebecca Wells. Both have much more style and flair than Billie Letts. Novalee et al were cardboard cutout characters. Such that you would find in Walmart. How fitting.
Rating: 
Summary: Where the Heart Is
Review: Where the Heart Is is an incredible escape fiction novel that contains good, believable characters. Seventeen years old and pregnant, Novalee Nation was left by her boyfriend at the Sequoyah, Oklahoma Wal-Mart. She secretly lives at Wal-Mart until she is forced to have her baby girl, Americus, there. Novalee meets many real, down to earth people along the way, such as Sister Husband, Forney Hull, and the Whitecottons. They offer an amazing amount of support as the new mother tries to overcome her problems, weather it be her own mother stealing her money or getting a job at Wal-Mart. Novalee searches for a sense of family throughout the novel. She tries to supply Americus with everything she needs, including the kind of family Novalee never had but always dreamed about. Novalee realizes how important family is and in the end of the novel she sees that she has made a family of her own. Novalee suffers a lot of heartache but is a strong, developing character that touches anyone she encounters, including the reader. Billie Letts did a wonderful job relating the characters to the reader. Letts is an incredible author and I look forward to reading another one of his novels. Where the Heart Is is a novel for everyone who enjoys irresistible stories that truly touch the heart.
Rating:
Summary: A Seventeen-Year-Old's View
Review: This book grabd the reader from the outset and the rest of the book twists and turns, keeping the reader constantly interested. It begins when Novalee Nation, pregnant and seventeen, is dumped by her boyfriend halfway to California. No knowing what else to do, Novalee makes the Wal-Mart her home for the following two months, sneaking in to sleep at night, and exploring the town throughout the day. She delivers her baby there, with the help of the kind strangers she has befriended. Through becoming famous as the mother of "the Wal-Mart baby", Novalee soon has a home and a job in her new town. She forms strong relationships with adults three times her age and the reader seems to forget her young age. As a seventeen-year-old myself, I was shocked at the maturity of Novalee and the challenges this woman is faced with. She reaches a point of maturity, because she is forced to, that I don't expect to reach for years. She seems to live a lifetime in the course of the novel, which spans seven years. The characters that Billie Letts creates are memorable and believable. With Novalee, they help her to grow and become a successful, happy mother and member of their community. Letts mixes sweetness with some violence in an odd but interesting way. It celebrates the beauty of life, the importance of education, and the power of love to change lives. The natural disasters, death of loved ones, and more heartbreak adds to the intensity of the novel. It is an easy, fast-paced, and intriguing story. It has a strong beginning, niddle and a great ending. I enjoyed this novel but on a rate of one to five, I would rank it as a four. This is because overall it was predictable and had sort of a soap-opera plot. On the other hand, these factors made it appealing in some ways as wel.. It wasn't a novel that upset me; it warmed my heart and left me smiling despite the predictable ending.
Rating:
Summary: This novel has heart...
Review: This is a refreshing and entertaining read. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh and cry at the same time. Its the story of Novalee Nation - a girl who has no luck with the number 7.The tale spins masterfully through several crucial years of her life. This is a 'love triumphs' tale that isn't pie-in-the-sky stuff, but real life. You'll be drawn into the story, and you'll root for the characters. First book I've read by Ms. Letts, but I think I'll keep an eye out for other titles that come from her! A reading!
Rating:
Summary: A book that will live in your heart forever!
Review: This book touched me on so many levels! It captured me from the start and held me to the end. Everytime I picked it up I felt I was going to join some old friends.The characters are so wonderfully rich and full. Novelle,Americus, Sister Husband,Forney,and Moses will live in my heart forever. I will read this book again and again! I recommend it too anyone who wants to be swept away in a story of love, hope, and dreams.
Rating:
Summary: Where the Heart Is---The best book I've read!
Review: I have not read fiction in a very long time, so I picked up this book with a bit of apprehension. From the first page, however, I was sucked into Billie Letts world of love, loss, heartbreak, and triumph, and I knew I had stumbled upon a jewel of a book. I have never read a book that has made me laugh out loud, cry, and fall in love with the characters. WHERE THE HEART IS, is absolutely one of the most beautiful and uplifting books I have ever read. I couldn't put it down. If you have seen the movie version, I encourage you to read the book as well. It is even better. I would be shocked if you did not absolutely love it. And about it being sugary and cheesy---Billie Letts is writing about a serious subject matter: teenage pregnancy and fatherless and abused children...the lightheartedness helps us to read this book without becoming totally depressed yet still makes us aware that this is a serious issue. Brilliant read!
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