I'll Be Seeing You
Quotes from the Book
...tell them that we have some good in us, too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. That’s why we’ve got to make sure we pass it on.
Then tell them we've all got meanness in us...But tell them we have some good in us too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. That's why we've got to make sure we pass it on.
You ever think about this? Every year you live, you pass the anniversary of your death. Now you don't know what day it is, of course.
You're dying right now. Right this minute.' He looked at his watch, said, 'Right this second,' then tapped it with his finger. 'See there? That second passed. It's gone. Not gonna come again. And while I'm talking to you, every second I'm talking, a second is passing. Gone. Count them up. Count them down. They're gone. Each one bringing you closer to your dying time.
Tell them that our lives can change with every breath we take. Lord, we both know that. Tell them to let go of what's gone because men like roger Briscoe never win. And tell them to hold on like hell to what they've got- each other, and a mother who would die for them, and almost did.
Never act like you want it, darlin'. Act like you wouldn't own it if they paid you. Tell them it's dirty, broken...a useless thing. Then make an offer.
Well, sometimes love seems easy. Like... it's easy to love rain... and hawks. And it's easy to love wild plums... and the moon. But with people, seems like love's a hard thing to know. It gets all mixed up. I mean, you can love one person in one way and another person in another way. But how do you know you love the right one in every way?" "I'm not sure, but I think you'll know. I think if it's the right person, it'll be better than rain and hawks and wild plums. Even better than the moon. I think it'll be better than all that put together.
Our lives can change with every breath we take.
Come on, Forney.' Novalee, it's a parasite.' But it's a tradition.' It's a parasite! And you expect people to stand under it and kiss?' Yes! it's what people do with mistletoe.
Well, sometimes love seems easy. Like ... it's easy to love rain ... and hawks. And it's easy to love wild plums ... and the moon. But with people, seems like love's a hard thing to know. It gets all mixed up. I mean, you can love one person in one way and another person in another way. But how do you know you love the right one in every way?" "I'm not sure, but I think you'll know. I think if it's the right person, it'll be better than rain and hawks and wild plums. Even better than the moon. I think it'll be better than all that put together.
A man can't love you because you haven't read as many books as he has? He can't love you because you don't speak French or because you don't go to operas? You're telling me we have to fall in love with people who are just like us?
She always set three alarms for fear that the first employees to arrive would discover her sleeping - a Goldilocks without her bears
But if it's something you want, then time doesn't matter. Time doesn't matter at all.
Novalee watched his lips shape the words...the sounds, like whispered secrets, hanging in the air.
Home gives you something no other place can...your history...home is where your history begins.
Awake, she struggled to fill the hours until she could sleep again. But nothing she did made her feel whole. If she ate, she didn't taste the food. If she read, she couldn't remember the words. If she rested, she still felt tired
The boy, a ten-year-old copy of the man...
Novalee Nation, seventeen, seven months pregnant, thirty-seven pounds overweight – and superstitious about sevens – shifted uncomfortably in the seat of the old Plymouth and ran her hands down the curve of her belly.
Tell them our lives can change with every breath we take. Lord, we both know that. Tell them to let go of what's gone because men like Roger Briscoe never win. And, tell them to hold on like hell to what they've got, each other, and a mother who would die for them and almost did. Tell them we've all got meanness in us... But tell them that we have some good in us, too. And, the only thing worth living for is the good. That's why we've got to make sure we pass it on.
Only Certain offered no enticements, for she knew nothing could ease the pain. Not books or photography or food. Not even love.
The money" The girl stiffened at something she heard in his voice, something jagged and sharp, like words torn by the blade of a knife.
We’re alcoholics. We’re generally satisfied just to hurt ourselves.
the only thing worth living for is the good. That's why we've got to make sure we pass it on.
Did you know?
- The novel was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection in December 1998.
- It won the Walker Percy Award in 1994, before its 1995 publication.
- It was Billie Letts's debut novel.
- A 2000 film adaptation starred Natalie Portman as Novalee and Ashley Judd as Lexie Coop.
- Much of the story is set in and around a Walmart in the fictional town of Sequoyah, Oklahoma.
About Billie Letts
About the book
"Where the Heart Is" is Billie Letts's 1995 debut novel, following Novalee Nation, a pregnant seventeen-year-old abandoned by her boyfriend Willy Jack at a Walmart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma. With nowhere to go, Novalee secretly lives inside the store until she gives birth to her daughter, an event that turns her into a local celebrity. Taken in by the town's eccentric but kindhearted residents, she slowly builds a life and a makeshift family in a place she never intended to stay.
The novel explores themes of resilience, motherhood, and the way community and chosen family can take root in the most unlikely circumstances. Novalee's superstition about the number seven and her painful history shadow her journey, while the parallel decline of Willy Jack, who spirals through prison and failed musical ambitions, sets her hard-won stability in relief. Around her, characters such as Sister Husband, Forney Hull, and Lexie Coop embody the small-town warmth that gives the book its emotional center.
Written before its publication as a debut, the book won the Walker Percy Award in 1994 and reached a wide audience after being selected for Oprah's Book Club in December 1998. It was adapted into a 2000 film starring Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd. Praised for its warm characterization and vivid dialogue, the novel became a beloved contemporary story of ordinary people finding belonging.
Key characters
- Novalee NationPregnant seventeen-year-old protagonist abandoned at a Walmart
- Willy Jack PickensNovalee's boyfriend who abandons her and later spirals downward
- AmericusNovalee's daughter, born inside the Walmart
- Forney HullA learned local who helps deliver Americus and grows close to Novalee
- Sister HusbandA warmhearted town resident who takes Novalee in
- Lexie CoopA nurse's aide and friend Novalee helps escape domestic violence
- Moses WhitecottonA photographer who mentors Novalee
Book details
- First published
- 1995
- Length
- 358 pages
- Reading time
- 7 hours
- Author
- Billie Letts
- Genre
- Fiction
- Goodreads rating
- 4.04 (254k ratings) →
Movie & TV adaptations
- IMDb
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