Where the Watermelons Grow

Della is twelve, and the night she finds her mother in the kitchen madly removing seeds from watermelon slices, muttering about how the seeds might harm her children, Della knows her mother is getting sick again. Schizophrenia has been a part of her mother’s life since Della was born, and Della has come to believe she is the cause. That is a heavy burden to bear. Della’s baby sister, Mylie, is a pistol and needs lots of care and attention. Maybe if Della can take that care over, Mama can rest and get better. Della’s daddy seems almost as lost as Della in how to help. Surrounded by good neighbors in this small town offering to help, Della’s frustration grows as Mama’s illness spirals out of control. Even the Bee Lady, who can fix anything, it seems, cannot help.

Author Cindy Baldwin has tackled a tough subject in this superbly written book. The characters are finely drawn and well-rounded, the story is believable and important, and the writing is gorgeous and lyrical. This is a book that deserves wide readership well beyond the middle-grade audience for which it was intended. Do not miss this book.