When the novel begins, Novalee is seven months pregnant and only 17 years old. She grew up in foster homes after her biological mother left her when she was only seven. For this reason, Novalee is determined to be a good mother. She reads pregnancy magazines and attempts to prepare the best she can for when the baby comes. But after Willy Jack abandons her, Novalee struggles to figure out what her next steps should be. She shows her immaturity by remaining hidden in the Walmart and not attempting to find a job or a home. She never attempts to find community support. Instead, when she goes into labor, she does not even know what to expect despite preparing a delivery bag filled with items she never uses because the pain is too intense for her to go retrieve it.

Novalee’s mother, Momma Nell, abandoned her when she was seven, leaving to be with a man she barely remembers ten years later. Before that, Momma Nell forgot Novalee in a roller rink overnight. There were Christmases when Momma Nell left Novalee alone, including one holiday when the house flooded while Novalee was asleep upstairs.