I picked up this book one quiet Friday evening and couldn't put it down until 350 pages later as I read the author's endnotes early Sunday morning, breaking only to eat and sleep. Never have I been so mesmerized by a book. It isn't easy to load a single novel with so much love, philosophy, sadness, wit and amazing character development, and then tie it all together into a solid story that grabs you and doesn't let go, but Where the Heart Is does just that.

Novalee Nation is 17 and seven months pregnant but she and her boyfriend, Willy Jack, are sure they'll find their fortune in California. On the way they stop at an Oklahoma Wal-Mart to use the restroom, where Willy Jack leaves her with no money, no place to live, no friends, and in this unfamiliar area. Novalee actually manages to live in the Wal-Mart unnoticed until the fateful day she gives birth to her baby in the store.

At first it doesn't look good for Novalee, but she quickly meets several friends in this small town who help her in any way they can. Together they unwittingly show Novalee that home is where the heart is.

Where the Heart Is is a truly magnificent book that everyone can read with complete satisfaction. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend this novel. Trust me, you'll love it.