Novalee Nation, 17 and very pregnant, has never been part of a real home. The closest thing to family is her boyfriend, Willy Jack, with whom she's traveling from Tennessee to California. A bathroom stop en route, at an Oklahoma Wal-Mart, changes Novalee's life forever. When she leaves the store, she discovers that Willy Jack is gone. Alone and broke, Novalee moves into the vast store, borrowing food and supplies from its shelves. When she gives birth on the floor - and her hideaway is revealed - Novalee and her 'Wal-Mart Baby' become instant celebrities.