Nominated for Georgia Author of the Year
A Yellow Watermelon
In the best Southern literary tradition, A Yellow Watermelon explores
poverty and racial segregation through the eyes of an innocent boy.
In rural south Alabama in 1948, whites picked on one side of the
cotton field and blacks on the other. Where the fields meet, twelve-
year-old Ted meets Poudlum, a black boy his own age, who teaches him
how to endure the hard work while they bond and go on to integrate
the field. Through Poudlum and Jake, an escaped black convict, Ted
learns of evil forces gathering to deprive Poudlum’s family of their
property and livelihood. The white boy and the black boy encounter
danger and suspense while executing a plan to save Poudlum’s family,
set Jake onto a river of freedom, and discover a great, yet simple
secret of enlightenment.
Ted M. Dunagan was born in 1943 in rural southwestern Alabama. He
attended Georgia State University, and served for three years in the
Army as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and Special Forces
Training Group. Dunagan is now retired after a career in the
cosmetics and fragrance industry. He writes features and columns for
The Monticello News in Monticello, Georgia, where he lives with his
wife.
Ted 's Radio Interview: http://www.georgiawriters.org/content/view/235/2/
About A Yellow Watermelon:
Kirkus Reviews:
“It’s a fine, well-told tale of friendship between two smart, likable
boys—one white, one black. In a scene akin to Deborah Wiles’s Freedom
Summer (2001), anticipating the Civil Rights movement, Ted tells
Poudlum, ‘And someday you gonna be able to walk in that drug store,
sit down and have yourself some ice cream. You know what else, one
day we’ll be able to go to school together, too.’ A memorable,
generous-hearted tale. ”
Aileen Henderson, author, Hard Times for Jake Smith:
“In A Yellow Watermelon, Ted refuses to be an observer of life in
rural Alabama of 1949. He's in the middle of the action, looking and
listening and thinking. He learns secrets and stirs up dangers that
force him to take a courageous stand against long established customs
that are unfair and dishonest. What can an 'almost twelve year old'
do to make a difference? With the help of forbidden friends, Ted's
inventive solutions will surprise the reader and keep the pages
turning to the tasty end of the story.”
Billy Moore, author, Cracker’s Mule:
“A Yellow Watermelon reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird’ and
Huckleberry Finn in that it is a great read with engaging, memorable
characters and wonderful boyhood stories that also tell volumes about
the small town South of the 1940’s. Read it for fun, but soak up the
history.”
Faye Gibbons, author, Night in the Barn:
“In Yellow Watermelon, Ted Dunagan convincingly captures the South of
the late nineteen forties. In a moving story he shows through the
experience of a boy how friendship can triumph over prejudice. Good
reading!”
Adrian Fogelin, author, Crossing Jordan:
“Readers of A Yellow Watermelon will be steeped in the rich and
contradictory world that was the South of the 1940s. Twelve-year-old
Ted Dillon, who has never seen more of the world than the scant few
miles around his home . . . also carries the fear that his father
will soon lose his job at the mill, along with the growing
realization that for the black members of his community there is
little hope and no equality. With deft and precise language Ted
Dunagan tells a story that is both beautifully wrought and unsparing
in its portrayal of all that was good and bad in Dixie.”
Anne Dalton, author, Dream Ghost:
“Suspense and danger scar the peaceful landscape of rural Alabama as
we view it through Ted’s twelve-year-old eyes. A Yellow Watermelon is
a touching story. It portrays ordinary individuals who take
extraordinary measures to battle evil. Maybe it will also help young
adults identify dangerous Mr. Creels among them!” |
