Where the Heart Is

“Novalee dreamed of all kinds of houses—two-story houses, log cabins, condominiums, ranch houses—anything fixed to the ground. She had never lived in a place that didn’t have wheels under it. She had lived in seven house trailers—one a double-wide, a camping trailer, two mobile homes, a fifth wheel, a burned Winnebago, and a railroad car—part of a motel called the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.”

Highlighting the theme of Definition of Home and Family, Novalee begins her narration by describing the kind of home she dreams of having when she arrives in Bakersfield, California. By describing the places she has lived in her seventeen years, Novalee depicts a nomadic life spent on wheels, perpetually moving from one location to another. The reader is not aware yet that Novalee grew up in foster homes, but it is clear from her train of thought this early in the novel that Novalee’s life has never been very stable, and that all she wants is a solid foundation for her and her baby.

“‘Get your baby a name that means something. A sturdy name. Strong name. Name that’s gonna withstand a lot of bad times. A lot of hurt.’

‘I never thought of that.’

‘I used to be an engraver…trophies, plaques, Cut gravestones, too. You do a thing like that, you thinking about names.’

‘Yeah, I guess you would.’

‘See, the name you pick out is gonna be with your baby when nothing else is. When nobody is. ‘Cause you ain’t always gonna be there.’”

Moses Whitecotton gives Novalee advice on how to name her baby. He does not know that Novalee has just been abandoned by her boyfriend and has nowhere to go. Yet they have a calm, polite conversation that explores Novalee’s timidness and patience with the world. Novalee is accustomed to abandonment and does not expect anyone to help her. However, Moses speaks to her as though he has already decided to become her surrogate father, touching on the theme of Reliability in Fatherhood. Moses and Novalee grow close as the novel progresses, and the roots of this relationship lie in this conversation.