Thoughts

After reading Black Cake I Knew I'd read anything she wrote. And I am glad I did. Because this book is one that I know will be staying with me.

There are a lot of characters and flipping from times but you get used to it. And it does well at telling the story.

The story was impeccable; however, I think it is these characters who will stay with me. I am not sure why but they haven't left my head since I finished the book. It is like they are friends that I need to check up on.

This wasn't a book that I sped through but it was one that I took my time with and really sat with the story. And it is a heartbreaking story filled with lots of grief. But also one of survival and hope.

This was truly a phenomenal read.

This is a very complex story that goes back in this history of slavery and racism in America. But it starts with a current day family - a Black family who has struggled with many tragedies. One of which is the death of their son. Later their daughter is left at the alter. She flees to France where she happens to vacation in the same town as her fiancé and new GF: there are many flash backs, history of pottery in America by slaves, relationships between families, couples, and as I said - it’s complex. I really loved the history aspects, and the complexities the author tackled. It didn’t work totally flawlessly for me but there were so many excellent moments and characters it kept me reading and interested. I’m impressed and also felt like I learned something and think this will be one a lot of people like especially for book clubs.

I enjoy how Wilkerson threads an object throughout the past and present, making it its own character. Ebby’s flee to France seemed like the perfect escape, until her fiancé who left her at the alter appears with his new girlfriend. What are the odds? I couldn’t get past the interactions between the new girlfriend and Ebby. I wanted to jump into the pages and shake Ebby, tell her to not be so nice! But, alas she’s the bigger and better person.

Charmaine Wilkerson has written another winner. Good Dirt is populated with complex characters each complete in their own reality, and interacting in unexpected ways. The past, in the shape of stories told by family and their visible artifacts, haunt the present. Wilkerson brings the many generations of these families to vivid life. She writes equally movingly of the people and the places they call home.

I loved these characters and this story, and look forward to recommending it to all the readers in my life.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This felt like a chore for a lot of the book, but I think it was due to how it’s set up. The ARC ebook has no chapters, only 4 parts, so “chapters” were over two hours long. That is daunting to me as a reader. If the published version splits into the mini parts within the four main parts, it would be much easier to get through, in my opinion. The writing is beautiful as expected. The story is beautiful. A little anti-climactic at some points (I was just expecting a bigger twist). If you read it, I think this would be amazing as an audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy!

Themes of grief, heartbreak, survivor's remorse and ancestry shape Good Dirt into a slow burn novel that will leave a lasting impression for readers. Ten-year-old Ebby's life comes to a halt when she hears a gunshot while playing hide-and-seek with her brother. His body is found surrounded by shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar.

The affluent Black family finds themselves again in the media when grownup Ebby is left at the altar. She flees to France to process what happened back then and now, piecing together a childhood tragedy and beloved family heirloom. Little does she know, the handcrafted piece of pottery holds more than her family's history but also the key to her future.

Good Dirt is not a book you can read in one sitting and fully digest it all. There are multiple characters with multiple timelines. I usually don't care for books with this format as it slows the pace and can become confusing. However, there was enough intrigue between the past trauma and current events that held my attention. At times, it was wordy and could have been a bit shorter, but I appreciate the author's attention to detail. By the end, I realized the length and certain chapters were necessary.

I most enjoyed the author's note of writing this layered story, its origin and recommended further reading. Wilkerson knows the art of storytelling!

Similar to Wilkerson's Black Cake, I believe Good Dirt will translate better on the TV screen. Keeping my fingers crossed to see this story come to life in a mini-series. The imagery and multi-generations will hit even harder when visualized creating a more emotional connection to Ebby's story. But until that happens, I recommend adding Good Dirt to your reading lists for the new year.

Happy Early Pub Day, Charmaine Wilkerson! Good Dirt will be available Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

A beautiful story that spans generations. It was very well written and great character development. I was immersed in the story from page one!

The daughter of an affluent Black family, Ebony Freeman, works through her grief after brother Baz was shot down in their house. The story revolves around Ebby and her parents and grandparents grief of this unfortunate incident. Along with the death of Baz, a century old family heirloom was shattered into pieces which was very valuable to the Freeman family. The crime was never solved and it created an intrusion into Ebbys life from the public. Ebby then experiences more tragedy a few years later by her fiancé leaving her at the alter.

This story covers tragedy and how it reshapes the Freeman family's history, Each family member handles grief in their own way. The past and present intertwine through multiple perspectives which gives the feeling of hope and redemption. This book explores grief, tragedy, trauma, mental health, ancestry, racism and how important it is to respect history. Their history is what forms their present and future life.

This story was so well done. I couldn't put it down and I didn't want it to end. Charmaine Wilkerson is one of my favorite authors. She writes so beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley Ballantine Books for this digital copy for my honest review.

This is the story of a wealthy Black family and how a tragedy impacts their lives for decades and the ties their loss has to a meaningful piece of pottery. I’m really bummed and surprised that I didn’t enjoy this. There’s way too many timelines and POVs, it felt like multiple books just mashed together. So much of the story is about a family heirloom which just isn’t something I find interesting to read about. Loved this authors debut novel but this one was a miss for me.

Ebby Freeman has always been in the public eye for the wrong reasons. As an accomplished daughter of an affluent black family, when her brother is murdered in her presence during a home invasion when she is ten, it makes national media. During the murder, a valuable and precious piece of pottery is destroyed. The piece has been in the Freeman family for six generations and is defining piece of the their family lore through their enslaved ancesters.

Nearly twenty years later, when her high profile fancier fiance` leaves her at the alter, Ebby's world implodes again. The voyerism in their affluent New England town is stifling. At the prompting of a dear friend, she leaves for a small town in France to work remotely. When her past follows her there as well, she begins to process all that her family lost the day her brother died and their family heirloom broke. She begins to write the stories of the piece.

This sweeping novel alternates time lines between a more current time 2018, the time of her brother's murder (2000) and also tells the stories of Ebby's enslaved relatives. It is clear that copious research was done by Wilkerson in preparation to tell this tale. While I felt the final third lacked focus and could have benefitted from a tighter edit, I adored Good Dirt. It's a stunning, heartfelt tale about trauma, race, legacy, and showing up for those you love.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the gifted copy. Good Dirt releases January 28, 2025.

I always love the way Charmaine Wilkerson writes her books. I hated Henry and didn't care about his perspective at all and the last 20-30% felt a little dragged out. But other than that I liked it, and I would definitely recommend it.

This work of historical fiction weaves together a multi-generational story, with the common thread being a treasured stoneware jar that has been passed down through the family for 175 years. The story largely alternates between two timelines: the present day Freeman family living in 2019-2020 and their ancestors persevering in the South during the 1800s. When the novel opens, the reader is introduced to Ebony Freeman “Ebby”, the sole daughter of an affluent Black family living in New England, who is struggling to free herself from both the trauma of her childhood and being left at the altar on her wedding day. Ebby escapes to France for a fresh start, only to find that her past has followed her there. The reader is transported to the past as the author tells the story of “Old Mo”, an antique stoneware jar, and its inscription that has inspired generations of the Freeman family, beginning with its creation by an enslaved potter named Moses.

While I typically enjoy works of fiction told through multiple POV, this one often felt disjointed to me. I found some areas of the narrative to be well paced and intriguing, while others were slow and repetitive. The crisis involving Henry in France felt unfinished - I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but instead the plot line just abruptly ended like nothing happened. Similarly, the interactions between Ebby and Avery felt extraneous and seemed to have little to no impact on on the central narrative. Overall, there were moments that drew me in, but I frequently found myself frequently bored and missing a connection with the characters. Because of this (and the long drawn out nature of the book), the ending fell flat for me and I found myself thinking “just tell me already!” after being teased for so long about what the inscription on the jar read. I feel like this one could have been edited down for a more profound impact. From what I’ve seen from other readers, Black Cake is the one to read from this author!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and especially to Charmaine Wilkerson for the honor of reading this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest, thoughtful review 🤍

This was such an interesting story. I don’t think I’ve read a book before that explored how family trauma and family history intersect to form our identities. In the beginning, we know that Ebby has lost her brother at a young age in a robbery that turned violent and has now been jilted at the altar, both events leaving her exposed to the limelight and struggling to heal. There are a lot of narrators and time jumps but it actually worked well for me. I thought the author made the transitions between the past and present stories very smoothly and you’re able to easily see the connections she’s trying to make. I actually think I enjoyed this more than Black Cake (and I liked that a lot too)!

LOVED the Charmaine Wilkerson's first book, Black Cake. If you haven't read it, you need to remedy that situation ASAP. So, I was very excited to receive and ARC from @netgalley for her soon-to-release second novel.

Good Dirt is about the ripple effect of history, personal history, enslaved persons history, and American history. Centered around a centuries old piece of slave created pottery affectionately named Old Mo and the Freeman family who own it, the narrative explores one family's tragedy and legacy by tracing the story of Old Mo from its conception to its tragic destruction during a home invasion which ends in the tragic death of a 15 year old boy.

But life and love aren't so easy to destroy, and the possibility of healing and restoration extends from generation to generation.

While this sophomore novel is paced more slowly than Black Cake, I really enjoyed the historical detail and accuracy of forced craftsmanship by enslaved peoples, as well as the generational journey from slavery to freedom.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this early!

After Black Cake, Charmaine Wilkerson has become a must-read author for me. Her words are so beautiful. It feels like I’m reading poetry.

Good Dirt really had its moments. Charmaine’s gorgeous lyricism was an honor to read. However, I did struggle with the plot.

While at times, I couldn’t stop reading. There were just as many where I felt the book lagged. I didn’t totally understand the connection between the ancestry and modern chapters. I wished there was more symmetry between the stories being told—otherwise it felt like two different books. There were a few chapters that didn’t feel like they fit at all.

There were also moments that felt intense and exciting. But the resolutions didn’t match the same tone. It would be like—oooh things are getting interesting! And then… oh nothing happened. There would be a really big build up for very little payout.

TLDR: Charmaine’s writing is gorgeous. But the plot left me wanting.

The night that Ebby witnessed her brother's murder, she also
saw her family's precious heirloom jug smashed to pieces. Now,
as an adult, she's still trying to outrun her childhood trauma, as
well as find some peace after being left at the altar. As Ebby's
story progresses in the present, we also meet her ancestors, all
of whom were touched by the jar during their lifetimes. This is
almost two stories in one: a coming of age novel for Ebby and a
multigenerational saga for her family. The transitions between
the two felt abrupt, and I was never able to connect with most of
the characters. I did enjoy the incorporation of some
heavy-hitting themes, but overall, struggled to maintain interest
in the narrative. If you haven't read Wilkerson's delicious debut,
Black Cake, start (and maybe end?) there.

Review will post Dec 23 2024

Charmaine Wilkerson has written another sweeping multi-generational family journey, this time delving into slavery and a major theme is how many important contributions are forgotten in history. I loved Ebby's story and how many of the mysteries in her lifetime are solved. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

I read and loved this authors previous book Black Cake. I had high hopes for this book but sadly my expectations were not met.
I found the story to be slow moving and repetitive at times. Jumping from one timeline to another lessened my overall enjoyment of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC

This is a mesmerizing story of love, loss, family and heritage. The author tells the story in the voice of various characters and in several timelines. The main character is Ebby Freeman who tells the majority of the story. It is filled with a poignancy that envelops the reader. The story is woven together in a way that keeps the reader engaged as they piece together the threads of the narrative. The language that is used is soothing even when difficult topics are discussed. The author shows the depth of her historical research in the plot and the development of the characters. This will be one of those books that is timeless and can be read several times. This is truly an excellent story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy.

4.5 stars

I'd never read Black Cake, Wilkerson's debut novel, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I love a novel that looks at the multitudes that Black people contain. Good Dirt sucked me in from the opening paragraph and pulled me through until the end, especially with the promise of finding out what the five words on the bottom of Ole Mo were, which inspired so many people in the Freeman family. While I would've been okay with fewer chapters so deep in the past, I really enjoyed all of Ebby's chapters and how she put herself back together by the end. I do wish the author had chosen to end the book with Ebby instead of where the epilogue goes (hence the 4.5 instead of 5 stars), but this book has made me curious to read her other work.

Good Dirt will be out on January 28, 2025

After loving Black Cake by the same author, I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of Good Dirt, and while it didn’t draw me in in quite the same way, I ended up really enjoying this book. Good Dirt is the story of the Freeman family, spanning throughout centuries and centered around an old clay jar. This jar, nicknamed Old Mo, is the star of the show, and the catalyst for so many huge events in the Freeman family’s lives.

Wilkerson’s prose is stunning, full stop. She’s a brilliant writer who makes you feel like you are part of the family she’s writing about, as seen in both this book and her debut. While the shifting timelines and characters did leave me a little confused to begin with, it’s like a recipe where you need to trust the process, because what results is absolutely beautiful. Every character was complicated yet felt so real.

This was truly a fantastic read for literary fiction fans and one I can wholeheartedly recommend!