The Girls Who Grew Big

Initially an outsider and a foil to the other Girls, Adela is a round, dynamic character who undergoes a drastic shift in her perspective on herself and on the nature of success. When she first arrives in Padua Beach from a privileged suburb in Indianapolis, she is deeply judgmental of the entire town, viewing it as a “wasteland” and the Girls as “ruthless” and “crazy.” Her identity is initially rooted in her career as a competitive swimmer, a discipline that demands control over her body and a clearly defined, ambitious future. The pregnancy shatters this control, turning her own body into something foreign. This initial alienation is a direct result of her upbringing and social status; she sees Padua Beach through her father’s disdainful eyes and is embarrassed by her connection to the “gritty” local population. Her attitude reflects a class-based prejudice that she must overcome.

Adela’s development is propelled by her relationships with her grandmother, Noni, and her tumultuous interactions with the Girls, particularly Emory, who secretly loves her. Noni acts as a gentle mentor, offering unconditional acceptance despite Adela’s flaws and quietly challenging the girl’s condescending worldview. While Adela initially resists this new environment, her pregnancy makes her an unwilling member of the community she scorns. The Girls, whom she once feared, slowly become a source of fascination—and eventually, belonging. Emory’s persistent friendship provides Adela with her first genuine connection in Padua Beach, drawing her into the Girls’ circle. This slow integration forces Adela to confront her own prejudices and the isolating nature of her former life. As her perspective on her pregnancy evolves, she begins to seriously imagine herself as a mother, particularly after seeing her baby on the sonogram for the first time.

Her transformation culminates in the final chapters, when she gives birth on the beach, surrounded by the very Girls she once judged. This act signifies her complete immersion into their world and her embrace of a visceral, communal form of motherhood. Having shed the expectations of her parents and the false promises of her relationship with Chris, Adela finds a new sense of self and family. She learns to find strength in her shared experiences with the Girls and revels in the raw, untamable landscape of Florida. Her journey embodies the novel’s focus on found family as a remedy for rejection.

Emory is a round and dynamic character who serves as a bridge between the world of Padua Beach and Adela’s outsider perspective. Emory’s journey explores the collision of romantic ideals with the harsh realities of young motherhood. Unlike the other Girls, Emory’s pregnancy is planned, born from her naïve desire to create a perfect family with Jayden and to be loved unconditionally. She envisions a “dream of a life” (25) where she and her son are “happy as two pigs rollin’ in the mud” (25). However, the reality of a colicky baby and her grandparents’ cruel rejection shatters this fantasy. This disillusionment isolates her, making her feel regretful and tricked by the idealized versions of motherhood she once believed. Her struggle to breastfeed Kai becomes a physical manifestation of her feelings of failure and inadequacy.

Despite her initial despair, Emory possesses a fierce ambition that distinguishes her from many of her peers. She is an excellent student with dreams of attending college, a goal she clings to as a way to reclaim her future and prove her worth. This ambition creates an internal conflict as she struggles to reconcile her academic goals with the demands of being a new mother. At times, this leads her to feel a sense of superiority over the other Girls; she privately believes she is “smarter than the rest of them” (35) and is convinced that her future is destined to be different. Her path requires her to negotiate the ostensibly contradictory identities of the dedicated mother and the ambitious student, and the support she receives from the Girls, especially Simone, is crucial in helping her to believe that she can inhabit both roles.

Emory’s deepest yearning is for connection. After being ostracized by her former friends and family, she finds belonging with the Girls. Her immediate, intense fascination with Adela stems from a desire for a profound, soulmate-level friendship with a woman. Her hopes in Adela as a romantic partner are ultimately dashed, and Emory’s complex relationship with Jayden, marked by a toxic cycle of seeking him out and pushing him away, further highlights her struggle with intimacy and her own hidden desires for women rather than men. With her decision to leave Kai in Jayden’s care and to attend college in Seattle, she embraces a radical redefinition of motherhood and selfhood, making a choice to build a better future for both herself and her son.

Chris, known to Simone and the Girls almost exclusively as “Tooth,” functions as a primary antagonist and a catalyst for conflict in the lives of Simone and Adela. He is a static and round character who indulges in an immature, irresponsible attitude that contrasts with his age and his largely neglected role as a father. When Simone gives birth to their twins, he is “repulsed” by the biological realities of childbirth and proves utterly useless in the most critical moments. Years later, he still prioritizes his social life with his friends over his responsibilities as a parent, telling Simone that he wants the children to visit him in the house he shares with his roommates—but “not on no weekends” (41). His sexual relationship with the teenaged Adela further cements his characterization as a man who refuses to grow up and persists in amusing himself by preying on the vulnerability of young women and underage girls.

Despite his irresponsibility, Tooth possesses a superficial charm that initially draws both Simone and Adela to him. He is described as a “pretty boy” (39) who knows how to feign support and enthusiasm in order to get what she wants, as when he spins Simone around in celebration after she first tells him she is pregnant. His instinctual charm is a manipulative tool that masks his self-centered nature. He offers the illusion of love and security but consistently fails to provide genuine support. For Simone, he is a tie to a past that she must sever in order to move forward, while for Adela, he represents a dangerous and deceptive detour from her authentic life path. His presence in the novel highlights the cycle of disappointment that the Girls must break before they can achieve true independence.

As Adela’s grandmother, Noni serves as a mentor figure and a source of unconditional love and wisdom. She provides a crucial anchor for Adela in the unfamiliar and often hostile environment of Padua Beach, and her compassion stands in stark contrast to the actions of Adela’s parents, who send her away out of shame. Unlike them, Noni welcomes Adela without judgment, immediately telling her, “I’m not embarrassed of you, Adela” (18). This acceptance creates a safe space for Adela to begin her transformation. Noni also holds a deep-rooted connection to the land and its traditions, using her knowledge of herbal remedies and teas to care for her community. This skill positions her as a keeper of ancestral knowledge, challenging Adela’s modern, privileged worldview and teaching her to respect the culture of the Florida Panhandle. Through her quiet strength and nurturing presence, Noni represents an alternative form of family and motherhood built on a spirit of acceptance.