"Where the Heart Is" is a novel by Billie Letts published in 1995. It also gained a spot in Oprah's book club. Billie Letts (1938-2014) offers a discussion section in the back of the book about her inspiration for the novel and what made her decide on themes. She also includes a section on her personal life, giving readers additional background information on influences and parallels that show up in the book. Based on my experience with "Where the Heart Is" I want to read more of her work.
I found the book at TJ Maxx while shopping for late Christmas gifts. It was hidden with the home goods, someone had obviously decided not to buy it and neglected to return it to the right section. It was on sale for about $7 and I thought, why not. Purchasing it was an excellent decision because once I started reading I could hardly put the 350-page novel down. It captured my attention from chapter one to thirty-eight. It is about a pregnant teenage girl, Novalee Nation, who is abandoned in Sequoyah, Oklahoma by her lousy boyfriend. Despite her undesirable disposition, Novalee manages to create a good life for herself and her daughter. Novalee's maturity and wisdom make her a captivating character. She makes new friends who eventually become her family. Novalee's new surroundings have a lot of love and wisdom to offer. She experiences tragedies and heart break, along with excitement and joy. Through it all Novalee learns about herself and evolves from an unsure teenager to a secure woman. This book allows readers to grow with the character as she transforms. The major themes are coming of age, romantic and platonic relationships, friendship, and abandonment.
The variety of themes and motifs make it relatable to a diverse audience. My major takeaway after reading is that even if you make a mistake, or have a misstep in life there is redemption. Novalee's metamorphosis taught me that our current position is not finite.
Imagine my excitement when I found that this book was adapted into a movie. Natalie Portman plays Novalee in the film released in 2000. Amazon.com gave the movie 4.5/5 stars, but I disagree. After being so enthralled by the book, the movie was a letdown. When I found out the movie is two hours I thought majority of the book details would be included. While the movie did include major themes and scenes, there are a few characters and small details that were changed or left out. If I watched the movie w
ithout reading the book, I probably would have thought it was a great film. However, it was just decent and does not hold a candle to the book.
Book Review 4.5/5
Movie Review 3/5
Movie Trailer Link https://youtu.be/HbzcodGsaRs
Amazon Book Purchase https://www.amazon.com/Where-Heart-Billie-Letts/dp/0446519723
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