Library & Literary Miscellany

Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy (2007)

“Now, as I was saying, my focus on giant pumpkins started when I was six.”

Five years later, eleven-year-old Mildred maintains her focus, which, as she sees it, is not so unusual. Other girls her age are focused on clothes or boys: “It just so happens that my thoughts are consumed with something out of the ordinary.” Yes, that’s right, she wants to grow a giant pumpkin.

You see, Mildred lives in Circleville, Ohio where every October ushers in Fall but also the annual pumpkin festival. Mildred’s late mother had wanted to grow a giant pumpkin and enter the giant pumpkin contest, but she never got around to actually growing one before she died. Mildred resolves to fill part of the hole left by her mother’s absence by planting and cultivating pumpkins.

Unfortunately, growing pumpkins is one thing; growing a prize winning giant pumpkin is another. Mildred has spent that past few years trying and failing as a prize winning pumpkin grower due to one unforseen obstacle after another. Fortunately, Mildred’s one determined (obsessed, focused, you name it) girl, and she continues to throw her heart and soul into the task.

All of the time Mildred spends in devotion to her prize pumpkin growing goal makes her Aunt Arlene nervous; Aunt Arlene fears it will cause Mildred’s heart to break yet again. But Mildred’s father recognizes that each person’s grieving process is unique and needs to be left free to run its course, and he supports Mildred in her pumpkin growing efforts. Aunt Arlene does not give up easily, and she tries to distract Mildred with boys and clothes.

Finally, Aunt Arlene insists Mildred take a vacation away from her beloved pumpkins. Mildred must trust her father and friend to take care of them for her for a few days. Although she does feel anxious leaving her precious pumpkins behind, she learns about trusting others, letting go, accepting help, and supporting friends and family.

Me and the Pumpkin Queen goes into great detail about the process of growing giant pumpkins, but along the way it also reveals a great deal about loss, about one girl’s process for going about living after loss, and about the slow process of healing.

A few other recent books that lack giant pumpkins but that also tackle the subjects of father/daughter relationships and grief after loss include Mary Amato’s The Naked Mole Rat Letters, Amy Hest’s Remembering Mrs. Rossi, and Jenny Lombard’s Drita, My Homegirl.

Me and the Pumpkin Queen is Marlane Kennedy’s first book. She’s a member of the Class of 2k7, so you can read more about her at her page on the Class 2k7 website.

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