Where The Heart Is Part 45

Then she heard him draw a deep ragged breath.

"I thought you wanted something else-a different life. I thought you wanted to go back to Maine . . . go back to school . . . become a teacher. And I was afraid if I tried to keep you here with me . . ."

"Novalee . . ."

"So when you asked me if I loved you, I said . . ."

"You said, 'No. Not in the way you need to be loved. Not in that way.'"

"But it wasn't true, Forney. I do love you."

"Then . . ."

"I lied because I thought you deserved something better.

"Something better than you?" His voice was husky and thick.

"Novalee, there isn't anything better than you."

"It's not too late, is it, Forney? We still have time. We still have . . ."

Novalee's voice was smothered beneath the siren of an ambulance pulling into the emergency entrance beside the phone booth.

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"Can you hear me?" she yelled into the phone.

"Novalee, where are you?"

"Outside a hospital in Alva."

"Alva? What are you doing there?"

"I'm getting ready to leave. I'm going to Tellico Plains."

"No." Forney sounded stunned. "You can't go back."

"Oh, not to stay, Forney. Not to stay." Novalee turned so she could see her car parked at the curb. w.i.l.l.y Jack was in the back, his head cradled on the pillows she had stacked in the seat.

"I'm just taking someone to Tellico Plains," she said. "Someone who's trying to get back home."

"Novalee, I don't know what's going on. I don't know how you found me here. I don't know why you're there. I don't know if I understand any of this. But if it's a dream, if I've just been dreaming . . ."

"You're not dreaming, Forney. This is you and this is me-and it's real."

A light rain had started falling while Novalee was still inside the phone booth. By the time she ran back to the car and slid under the wheel, the wind was slapping drops the size of quarters against the windows.

w.i.l.l.y Jack was in a deep sleep, the result, she supposed, of the pain shot he'd been given just before they'd loaded him into the car.

While Novalee was fis.h.i.+ng her keys out of her purse, the wind picked up enough to set the Chevy rocking and to make her decide to wait it out and stay put until the storm pa.s.sed.

As she watched the drops spilling down the window, she saw another night, another rainstorm and a girl . . . a girl seventeen, pregnant, alone . . . a girl turning, spinning, waiting-waiting for the Where the Heart Is 357.

ones who would step from the darkness, their voices calling to her from the shadows . . .

a little woman with blue hair and a wide smile, holding open the door of a trailer house, a woman who would teach her the meaning of home home is the place that'll catch you when you fall home is the place that'll catch you when you fall and we all fall and we all fall a man with black skin who would put a camera in her hands and teach her a new way to look at the world you don't need to be scared . . . remember, you know about taking pictures from the heart taking pictures from the heart a brown-skinned boy with a soft voice and a tree full of magic it's lucky, lets you find things you need . . . it's lucky, lets you find things you need . . .

helps you find your way home if you get lost a woman too full of life to say no who would teach her about friends.h.i.+p a woman too full of life to say no who would teach her about friends.h.i.+p look at all you've done, Novalee . . .

look at all you've done for yourself a man in a stocking cap who would teach her about love a man in a stocking cap who would teach her about love what I want, Novalee, is to be with you . . . what I want, Novalee, is to be with you . . .

to be with you and Americus 358.

and a child named Americus who would teach her to trust happiness when the kitten opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is her when the kitten opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is her mother mother The girl knew there would be others with new voices calling to her from places she couldn't see, so-still whirling-she waited.

Novalee smiled then at her seventeen-year-old self turning on the other side of the rain-streaked gla.s.s and she tried to hold her there.

But the girl spun away into the light, the place where her history began.

Reading Group Guide A Q&A with Billie Letts Q. You use some strange names, including Native American names. How did you come up with them?

A. We have some wonderful names in Oklahoma, names that carry their own images, their own rhythms-Whitecotton, Nation, Goodluck, Husband. I didn't have to work hard to find them. Even the name Americus is connected to Oklahoma. It was once a small community here but it's gone now, disappeared.

Q. Why did you settle on Wal-Mart as such an important part of your book?

A. Many small towns in our part of the country have central meeting places, the social centers of the towns-churches, high school gyms, football fields, and, increasingly so, the Wal-Mart store, which has changed not only business on 362 Main Street, but the very rhythms and movements of these communities. So, for my story, the Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, was the most likely place for Novalee to en-counter Sister Husband, a white woman, Moses Whitecotton, a black man, and Benny Goodluck, a Native American boy.

Q. Your book includes characters from a variety of cultures.

How did that come about?

A. We hear so much about America's urban areas and the various ethnic communities in them-the great melting pot.

I suspect that the common perception on the coasts is still that the great middle is populated by Anglo ranchers and wheat farmers. And they do live here. But our ethnic diversity would surprise most people. Do you know that Oklahoma almost came into the union as a black state? That at one time Oklahoma had a mult.i.tude of black towns? And of course the various Native American tribes were in place on their lands even before statehood. But the limits and boundaries of the black towns and Indian communities have largely dissolved to contribute to a cultural diversity in the state.

Q. Why is Novalee, an uneducated, pregnant, seventeen-year-old, your main character?

A. Oklahoma has a high rate of teenage pregnancy. As a result, we have many single mothers, either recently divorced or never married. I've known many of these young women-students in my college cla.s.ses. They often hold marginal jobs as waitresses, motel maids, nursing home workers. They are poor and uneducated, often victims of Where the Heart Is 363.

alcoholic, redneck, small town he-men. But these are Ma Joad's children-they keep coming, keep trying. And Novalee Nation is among the best of them.

Q. How did you settle on Sister Husband and Moses Whitecotton and Forney Hull as Novalee's mentors? How is Where the Heart Is Where the Heart Is an "Oklahoma story"? an "Oklahoma story"?

A. Some people have described Sister Husband as "wacky."

Let's see. She's loving, giving, accepting, and nurturing.

Maybe in late-twentieth-century America that's wacky. If it is, I've had a grandmother, aunts, cousins, and friends who are, according to that definition, wacky. Come to my house and I'll invite a houseful of Sister Husbands of a variety of ages, sizes, and inclinations. Sister is as much a part of me as Sat.u.r.day night family musicals and Sunday morning church.

Moses Whitecotton is based on a real man-Claude Adams-a friend who died several years ago. He moved from a difficult time and place in this society to help hundreds of people better their lives. You've never heard of him, but anyone who ever knew him will never forget what he gave to each of us.

And Forney Hull? America has a tradition of anti-intel-lectualism and so does Oklahoma. Intellectuals, or simply anyone who listens to a variety of music or who goes to a play or who reads too many books, are suspect. But they But they are here. are here. And, as in any society, they are our soul. And, as in any society, they are our soul.

How did I come up with these characters? h.e.l.l, they're people I know.

Q. Several of your characters' names are changed or miscalled during the course of the book. When Sister Husband first 364 meets Novalee, she calls her "Ruth Ann." Moses Whitecotton is called "Mose" by the manager at the Wal-Mart even though he's dealt with Moses several times.

Lexie Coop's children are never called by their real names until late in the story. And w.i.l.l.y Jack's name is changed to "Billy Shadow." I'm curious about your reasons for doing that.

A. If these characters were lawyers, bankers, corporate ex-ecutives, or celebrities, there's little chance people would take the liberty of changing their names. But the characters you've mentioned are poor, uneducated-without A. power. When I was teaching, I often used Maya Angelou's work in my cla.s.ses, in particular, I Know Why I Know Why the Caged the Caged Bird Sings. Bird Sings. Ms. Angelou relates an incident in which a white woman she works for decides to change her name, Marguerite, to "Mary." Can you imagine how that must feel? That someone with the power of social status and wealth could, on a whim, decide to change your name? Ms. Angelou relates an incident in which a white woman she works for decides to change her name, Marguerite, to "Mary." Can you imagine how that must feel? That someone with the power of social status and wealth could, on a whim, decide to change your name?

Q. Many of your characters are disfigured in some way.

Novalee has a scar that runs from her wrist to her elbow; Jolene, the teenaged girl w.i.l.l.y Jack meets in Santa Rosa, is missing her two front teeth, and w.i.l.l.y Jack himself has teeth marred by cavities "the size of raisins." Claire Hudson has so many cuts and sc.r.a.pes that it seems her entire body is covered by Band-Aids, and Lexie Coop's eyelid is ruined. You obviously wanted readers to "see" these disfigurements, didn't you?

A. Yes, I did. Think about how these people live and what happens to them as a result. Novalee's scar came from a woman in a bar where Novalee worked, a woman crazy and and Where the Heart Is 365.

drunk. Jolene and w.i.l.l.y Jack are trying to survive in whatever way they can. People like that can't be overly concerned with oral hygiene. Claire Hudson covers herself with Band-Aids less because of visible wounds than because she is trying to hide, to protect herself from pain.

Lexie is the victim of a man who preys on vulnerable women and children. Now I'm not suggesting that people with money and power can avoid crazy people with knives or dangerous degenerates or even bad teeth, but I believe people like the characters in my book have far fewer re-sources with which to deal with their disfigurements, both figuratively and literally.

Q. Did you sit down and plot out the book character by character, interaction by interaction, or did it come to life as you were writing it? Is Where the Heart Is Where the Heart Is the novel you set out to write? the novel you set out to write?

A. I had parts of the story in my head when I started. I knew who the major characters were and I knew how the story was going to end, but I didn't know many of the twists and turns that would take me there. The first time I actually roughed out an outline, when I was seventy or eighty pages into the first draft, I came up with seventeen chapters. As you know, the book ended up being thirty-eight chapters long, so I guess outlining isn't my strong point. Is it the novel I set out to write? Yes, I'd have to say it is even though I got there almost by accident, just sort of stumbling from one chapter to another, from one event to another.

Q. In what ways did the novel change as you wrote it? Did you find some characters developing in unexpected ways?

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A. Forney Hull was a big big surprise for me. I knew he was going to be instrumental in changing Novalee's life by introducing her to the world of books and learning. But I had no notion that he would fall in love with her. When he did, I was really amazed. And when she discovered she loved him, I was absolutely astonished. Astonished, but pleased. surprise for me. I knew he was going to be instrumental in changing Novalee's life by introducing her to the world of books and learning. But I had no notion that he would fall in love with her. When he did, I was really amazed. And when she discovered she loved him, I was absolutely astonished. Astonished, but pleased.

Q. Can you talk a bit about Novalee? How did she come about?

Was she the impetus for writing the novel or did the story come first?

A. I was in Wal-Mart one day and the thought came to me that someone could probably live there for weeks, months . . . years, maybe, without ever having to go outside. And just like that I came up with the idea of a girl hiding out in that store, living there, because she had nowhere else to go.

Then, as the story began to take shape, the girl became a pregnant teenager faced with some very adult, very difficult decisions. And in Novalee's case, a teenager who had a history full of grief.

Q. This novel has won awards in the young adult category.

What is it about the book that speaks to teenagers?

A. I've heard from young people all over the country-many have written to me; some I've met in person-but most have made similar comments: they identify with Novalee because they, too, have felt lost, abandoned, alone; they want to believe there are places in America like Sequoyah, where racism, s.e.xism, and cla.s.sism do not override hopes and possibility. And because so many of them come from splintered families, they trust that they, like Novalee, might Where the Heart Is 367.

be lucky enough to find caring people out there who will help them build "families" of their own.

Q. Where the Heart Is Where the Heart Is is set in America's "heartland" and deals with quintessentially American characters, yet it has been translated into twelve languages. How would you account for its cross-cultural appeal? is set in America's "heartland" and deals with quintessentially American characters, yet it has been translated into twelve languages. How would you account for its cross-cultural appeal?

A. I don't know, but I'm glad. I'm glad that Scandinavians and Europeans and Asians and Latin Americans will read about Moses, Sister Husband, Forney, Novalee, and the other fine folks of Sequoyah, Oklahoma, and realize that people of good heart don't exist just in the pages of books, but live next door, in the neighboring town, in bordering nations, and countries halfway around the world.

Discussion Questions 1. The theme of "home" runs throughout this novel. Would you characterize home as a place, a family, a state of mind, or, as Sister Husband says, a place "where your history begins"? As a home-less person longing for a home, Novalee's image of home is heavily influenced by the images she sees in magazines. How influenced are we all by portrayals of home and home life in the media, movies, and on television?

2. In the beginning of the novel, Novalee is a poor, uneducated teenage mother whose own mother abandoned her at a young age. Novalee, however, seems to be remarkably maternal and re-sponsible in her parental role. Do you think this is a believable portrayal of teenage motherhood? Is it possible that lacking a loving mother herself she would be such a good mother? Both Novalee and Lexie defy our stereotypes of poor, single mothers.

Do you think this is a strength or a weakness of the novel?

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3. Novalee's superst.i.tion about the number seven intensifies after the birth of her daughter. What do you make of Novalee's seemingly irrational fears? What role do superst.i.tions play in the lives of even the most rational of us? Are there any other patterns or cycles you recognize in the novel?

4. Despite his cruelty, women are attracted to w.i.l.l.y Jack and are willing to take care of him. What is the attraction of cruel men to needy women? Lexie says, "Girls like us don't get the pick of the litter." What do you think of this statement? And why do you think that Novalee decides to help w.i.l.l.y Jack when she learns of his plight?

5. w.i.l.l.y Jack's story is interspersed throughout the novel. Do you think his story is necessary to the plot? Why or why not? If this novel had been told through the eyes of w.i.l.l.y Jack Pickens, in what ways might we see Novalee differently?

6. Novalee takes pictures to "see something in a way n.o.body else ever had" and Forney reads to explore the world outside the con-fines of his own life. Do you think books and photography help them deal with their lives or keep them from dealing with life head on? In what other ways do we use inanimate objects to either cope with life or hide from it?

7. Children play an important role in this novel. How are their stories important? What do each of the children-Americus, Benny, Praline, Brownie-teach us about love and loss of innocence?

8. Despite their struggles, Lexie's family is incredibly loving, fun-filled, and close. This is what makes the attack on Lexie and Brownie 370 so heart wrenching and shocking. Do you think Brownie's trust in adults can ever be fully restored? Why do you think the author decided to include such a brutal scene in a book filled with so much kindness?

9. How did you feel when Novalee spurned Forney? Did you believe they would ultimately end up together? Do you think they are well matched? Do you believe that differences in education and social cla.s.s matter in a relations.h.i.+p, and what do you think makes it possible to bridge such differences? Or do you believe that people with similar backgrounds tend to be better matched?

10. There are no traditional families in this novel. Why do you think the author chose to write a book about home and family yet disregarded established notions of what const.i.tutes each? Though many of us accept and embrace different forms of family life, why do you think the traditional family is still frequently portrayed as mother/father/children? Do you think this remains the "ideal"?

Billie Letts On Billie Letts I was an only child . . . and an ugly one. I had pumpkin-red hair as untamable as tangled bailing wire, buck teeth that overlapped my bottom lip, and so many freckles that my Uncle Ed called me "Speck"

and teased that I was the only girl in Oklahoma who had a dog prettier than she was.

My Aunt Zora, in a sincere act of kindness, tried to console me by telling me that I was going to be pretty when I got older and "grew into my teeth," a comment that left me mystified, yet hopeful.

But my physical imperfections, unfortunately, did not end at my neck.

My body looked like a stick figure drawn by a four-year-old with a sharp pencil and a dull sense of proportion. There wasn't enough meat on my bones to tempt a hungry chicken hawk. Even worse, I was clumsy . . . never quite in control of my feet and elbows and knees, which resulted in a pandemonium of scars, scabs, sc.r.a.pes, and bruises, cross-hatched with Band-Aids.

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I was a mess. mess. But the Oklahoma sun was warm, and I was a kid with good friends and neighbors and relatives, and somehow I could always make them laugh. A tap step here, a piano run there, and always the jokes, the laughter. But the Oklahoma sun was warm, and I was a kid with good friends and neighbors and relatives, and somehow I could always make them laugh. A tap step here, a piano run there, and always the jokes, the laughter.

The child of parents who were children themselves, I lived much of the time with my grandma, whose house was close enough that I could see my own from her kitchen window, where I sometimes watched my mom and dad do battle. My grandma's house was always a safe haven for me, and starting school was a reprieve.

The first in my cla.s.s to learn to read, I zipped through d.i.c.k d.i.c.k and and Jane, Jane, then, encouraged by the school librarian, packed home each week as many books as I could carry. By the time I entered fourth grade, I was beginning to yearn for something with more substance than our library could offer. then, encouraged by the school librarian, packed home each week as many books as I could carry. By the time I entered fourth grade, I was beginning to yearn for something with more substance than our library could offer.

My parents, both products of the Depression, were uneducated, hardworking, and thrifty-not the kind of people to spend money on books. In our house there were only two: the Bible and a novel my mother must have thought was of a religious nature because of the t.i.tle, though I'm quite sure she never read it.

I gave the Bible a try, but, finding it very confusing, turned to the novel. G.o.d's Little Acre. G.o.d's Little Acre. Now there was a book! I read it several times and used it as the subject for my fourth grade book report, which caused such a stir that I knew I was on to something. If I had the power to agitate a language-arts teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by simply writing about someone else's writing, how much power might I have in telling my own stories? I suspect it was then, at age nine, that the idea of becoming a writer took hold. Now there was a book! I read it several times and used it as the subject for my fourth grade book report, which caused such a stir that I knew I was on to something. If I had the power to agitate a language-arts teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by simply writing about someone else's writing, how much power might I have in telling my own stories? I suspect it was then, at age nine, that the idea of becoming a writer took hold.

Fast-forward twenty years.