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I have read the novel "Where the Heart Is" by Billie Letts. It's a good read. I recommend it! The name may have existed before that book. I don't know. However, I believe the author wrote that Novalee was a name that was invented by the mother. Either that or she implied it. Can't remember. In America a Nova is a car that was popular in the 1970s and has become very outdated and is joked about some as being 'low class'. In the novel, Novalee struggles with being looked down on by others more successful, more educated, et cetera, so this may be the reason the author chose the name Nova for her.

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Lee is just a popular name to add onto the end of names here. Example: Marilee, Saralee. Lee means "meadow".

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The name Nova means "new" so if this meaning was combined with Lee's meaning of "meadow" one could get "New Meadow". In the case of Novalee Nation, I believe the character was named by her mother after that brand of car, and "New Meadow" by the author. Since during the course of her story Novalee find a new home in a new town the author probably meant for the name to have that double meaning. "New Meadow". :O)

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Again, I am nto certain of this. Hopefully, some of the other will reply also though. I am sure they are much better at this than I am.

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Hope I helped a wee bit.

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MJ