Where The Watermelons Grow

Where the Watermelons Grow (2020) by Cindy Baldwin is a middle grade novel that follows 12-year-old Della Kelly as she struggles to manage the emotional and physical challenges that come with having a parent with mental illness. This novel explores themes of love, acceptance, friendship, and mental illness as Della searches for a way to relieve her family of the struggles and stress that accompany her mother’s schizophrenia.

This study guide uses the 2020 HarperCollins Children’s Books First Paperback Edition.

Content Warning: This study guide contains descriptions of mental illness, children in emotional distress, and discussions of mental illness inheritance.

Plot Summary

Twelve-year-old Della Kelly wakes up one hot summer’s night to find her mother digging seeds out of a watermelon. Mama claims the watermelon seeds will make Della and her 18-month-old sister, Mylie, sick. Della and Daddy try to get Mama to come back to bed, but Mama refuses. To help Mylie back to sleep, Della tells Mylie a story about the town’s Bee Lady, whose magical honey has helped heal many townsfolk of their woes and ailments. Della wishes something like that could exist for Mama. Della worries Mama’s schizophrenia—is getting bad again.

Mama sleeps in the next morning, and the people at church ask about her. Everyone in town is aware of Mama’s illness, and they check in on the Kelly family when something seems amiss. Daddy and Della say Mama has a cold. Della wants to ask the Bee Lady for magic honey to fix Mama but knows Daddy would scold her for such a thing. Mama is on medication and under the care of a doctor to help manage her schizophrenia. That afternoon, Della notices Mama nodding as though she’s talking to someone, but no one is there.

Della and her best friend, Arden, run a farm stand shared by their families every morning except Sundays. When Della sees Arden, she feels better, but she still doesn’t tell Arden about her concerns. Mama had to go stay in the hospital for months when Della was eight years old due to her illness. Della stayed with Arden’s family because she was too young to accompany Daddy on visits.

That week is extremely hot and dry, and Della’s family doesn’t have air conditioning. When it broke in May, Mama wouldn’t let them replace it, concerned about the chemicals harming Della and Mylie. The family keeps cool with electric fans. Daddy expresses concerns about the crops dying in the drought. He doesn’t want to lose the farm he’s inherited from his father. Della and Daddy watch crime mystery shows every Thursday night, but on this Thursday, Mama says she no longer wants Della watching them because a character in the show hurt children. Mama says her daddy told her people are trying to hurt Della and Mylie. Mama’s daddy has been dead for four years. In the morning, Daddy tries to get Mama to agree to a doctor’s visit, but Mama asserts she’s fine and feeling more herself than ever.

Della continues to keep Mama’s illness from Arden, despite Arden’s concerns. Della doesn’t want to talk about it because that makes it feel real. She doesn’t want Mama going away again, and thinks she can make sure that doesn’t happen. The next Saturday, Arden comes over to ask if her family can borrow eggs. Della leads Arden inside to find Mama chewing her bloody lip and Mylie screaming in her crib. Mama says it’s safer for Mylie this way. Arden leaves in a hurry and Della swears her to secrecy. Della cleans up Mylie and tells her that she has a plan to fix Mama. Della feels responsible because Della’s birth is what triggered Mama’s schizophrenia.

At church, Della asks the Bee Lady if she has honey that can fix Mama’s brain, but the Bee Lady says nothing is better for Mama than her doctors and medications. She has a honey that can fix Della, however, but Della asserts nothing is wrong with her. She doesn’t understand what the Bee Lady means. Della adjusts her plan. She recalls Mama’s doctor saying Mama needs rest to let her brain heal, so Della decides to take on more of Mama’s responsibilities.

Della cooks breakfast for the family and tries to take Mylie for the day, but Mama refuses. She isn’t sure why Della thinks she needs rest. Later, on the farm, the tractor breaks down. When Della sees Arden, she cries, confessing her fears. Della thinks she can find a way to fix Mama before she gets sent to the hospital again, and feels responsible for doing so. Several days later, when Della and Daddy return from the store with the needed tractor part, they find Mama scrubbing the cabinets with bleach while Mylie screams, her arms covered in ketchup. Daddy tries to reason with Mama but ultimately gives up and abandons the scene, leaving Della to clean up the mess and take care of Mama and Mylie.

The next morning, the electricity is out. Della tries to cool off with a cold slice of watermelon, but Mama still thinks the seeds will make her sick. Daddy fails to talk Mama out of her concerns. He gives Mama her pill. Mama attempts to hide the pill instead of taking it, as she has been avoiding her medication for weeks. Daddy yells at Mama for putting extra stress on the family while the farm is struggling. He sends Della and Mylie outside. Della tells Arden she’s scared Daddy will leave because he doesn’t want to deal with Mama anymore.

Daddy tells Della that he cannot control Mama or make her take her pill, but he’s prepared to send Della and Mylie away if things get too bad. Della is terrified of this happening. She runs away from home and hides in the rickety playhouse she and Arden built. Daddy finds her that night and agrees to let her sleep in the playhouse, acknowledging that home life is hard right now. Daddy returns late in the morning and tells Della that Mama went away in an ambulance because she began to threaten Daddy and wouldn’t let Mylie eat. In the distance, a storm approaches.

Della stays with Arden’s family while Daddy takes Mylie to stay with his parents near the hospital an hour away. Della feels upset by Arden’s perfect family life and snaps at Arden for not understanding what she is going through. They go to bed in silence.

The next morning, Della runs away again. She goes to the Bee Lady’s house to ask for the honey the Bee Lady said she had for Della. The Bee Lady gives Della a watermelon honey and explains that the magic of the honey is in bringing out one’s inner strength. As Della walks back, the rain begins. Miss Lorena, one of Della’s family friends, finds Della walking and takes her in. Della eats some honey, hoping it will fix everything. Della confesses her guilt about causing Mama’s schizophrenia, her sense of responsibility, and her fears about inheriting the illness. Miss Lorena reassures Della that everyone has burdens to carry, and Della and her family are strong enough to cope with Mama’s mental illness. She also reminds Della that many mamas in town are looking out for the family, and Della can find strength in them any time she needs them. Della is now ready to visit Mama.

Della’s first visit to Mama in the hospital doesn’t go well, so they cut the visit short. Daddy apologizes to Della for the extra stress he’s put on her. Della continues to eat the honey for a few days until it’s gone, and she begins to feel grateful for all the support and strength she’s gotten from her friends and family. Della and Arden reconcile. Della also begins to eat watermelon again, learning to tuck away the recent painful memories attached to her favorite fruit. Ten days later, Della feels ready to see Mama in the hospital again. She’s learned to accept that Mama will always have schizophrenia, and she’s ready to face whatever may come with the love and strength of her family, friends, and community.