Novalee is unlucky. She's seven months pregnant, homeless and headed to California for an unknown reason. Her dreams of houses, family and love seem far away. Willy Jack wants money. He craves boozes, sex and freedom. He finds himself jobless, with a pregnant girlfriend, and a beat up Plymouth destined for California. In the Billie Letts novel, Where the heart is the American dream involves family, friends, and material goods. Both Novalee and Willy Jack …showed first 75 words of 877 total…

…showed last 75 words of 877 total…selfless and motivated by the love of her friends and family. Willy Jack never achieves his dreams of wealth. His failure is a result of the poor selfish decisions he makes along the way. Nonetheless, the end of the novel gives the reader a sense of hope for Willy Jack. He is able to admit he made bad decisions and most importantly he learns that happiness is found in his heart, not in his wallet.