nˌoʊvəkˈɑːvɪk wʌz fˈɜːst mˈæɹid æɾ ˈeɪdʒ sˈɪkstiːn, bɪkˌeɪm ɐ mˈʌðɚɹ æt sˈɛvəntˌiːn ænd wʌz wˈɪdoʊd æt nˈaɪntiːn wɛn hɜː fˈɜːst hˈʌsbənd lˈɔst hɪz lˈaɪf ɪn ɐ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn kˈɑːɹ kɹˈæʃ, ˈɛndɪŋ ðɛɹ θɹˈiːjˈɪɹ mˈæɹɪdʒ.
Novaković was first married at age 16, became a mother at 17 and was widowed at 19 when her first husband lost his life in a 1991 car crash, ending their three-year marriage.