Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson is a very intriguing novel that centers around a family that has endured years of slavery. The story goes back and forth between the past and the present and a jar that has been made by a slave and that has become part of this family, the Freeman’s legacy. The story is parts loss, pain, suffering, and redemption. It was a very enjoyable read and is one that I would recommend to others. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read and advance reader’s copy.

A disappointing follow-up to the author’s Black Cake. The story felt disjointed and the writing a bit basic. I found it hard to connect to the events or the characters.

This is a wonderful book. The author did an excellent job of writing about multigenerational trauma with care.

There were multiple flashbacks which helped define the characters and helped me get invested in the overall story.

The characters were well written with a satisfying and realistic ending

Highly recommend !

Good Dirt is a sweeping novel of the Freeman family. In the late 2010s, the Freemans are wealthy, Black New Englanders. Ebby is a young adult, trying to figure out her path after staying close to her parents, Ed and Soh most of her life. The Freemans were blown apart by tragedy almost 20 years earlier when Baz, their eldest child and Ebby’s revered older brother was murdered in a home invasion.

We learn about Old Mo, a jar pottered by Ebby’s great-great-great-great grandfather, a slave. The jar has meant so much to the family, as it was passed down alongside the stories of those who made it, escaped slavery, and helped build the comfortable life the Freemans live in current day. The jar was broken in the home invasion, adding another layer of trauma for the family.

The book moves back and forth over years and decades. Ebby’s childhood. Ed and Soh’s courting. Envy now. Ebby even more recent than now. And of course, the jar stories back in the 1800s, of slaves.

Overall, I loved this book. The story is sad, moving, and unique. The characters are wonderful. I had a harder time connecting to the jar stories, as the thread isn’t as clear or constant, but I was able to keep moving through them. Sometimes, the change in perspectives was annoying, in that some viewpoints felt extraneous and I didn’t always understand the choice of first, second or third person. There was so much I liked, and some that just felt long or slightly less organized.

This is a powerful read. I’m grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded down.

This is a spoiler free review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for a review.
I really enjoyed Charmaine Wilkerson's first book, "Black Cake," and was very excited when I was chosen to review this book!

The story, "Good Dirt" is a multiple point of view, cross genre novel. It is told in the 3rd person through many different characters, and Wilkerson does a fabulous job sharing the history and relationships that these characters all share. The story goes back and forth between the 1600's in Barbados to present day New England and crosses multiple generations of a family. It is a combination of historical fiction, romance and mystery, all intricately woven together to tell a beautiful story.

The story begins by introducing the Freeman family, who has suffered a terrible loss, in the murder of their 15 year old son. We meet Ebony, "Ebby," the only daughter who is struggling to not only process her brother's death, but also being left at the altar on the day of her wedding. We then learn about "Old Mo" - the tie that binds everyone in this story together. I can't say much more without giving any spoilers - but definitely read this book if you are looking for a sentimental story that shows the power of family bonds, the love of family history and hearing those wonderful stories passed down from generation to generation. A quote from this story that really resonated with me is this, "The mind cannot be chained."

The only reason I did not rate this book 5 stars, was when we finally find out why Ebby's ex-fiancé left her at the altar, it didn't seem to gel with how his character was portrayed in the rest of the story. It was a bit of a let down for me. He. was definitely an interesting and well thought out character for the rest of the story, but this really stuck with me. As I finished the rest of the story, I began to think of him differently.

Overall, I highly recommend this book!

This was a wonderful story. The different time periods were woven together beautifully and the characters were interesting and sympathetic. The storylines have a great deal of heart break, but the story was still written with so much love and hope. Highly recommend!

With her second novel, Good Dirt, Charmaine Wilkerson solidifies her position as one of the best current writers of family sagas. When Ebony “Ebby” Freeman gets left at the altar, she is forced to confront the demons that haunt her and her family. Wilkerson intersperses the present-day timeline with short chapters about Ebby’s ancestors from their capture in Africa to their successful business in New England to the tragedy that happened when Ebby was a child. I would have liked more Ebby and less history, but I still found Good Dirt an engaging and enjoyable novel. Readers of historical fiction, family sagas, and contemporary novels should not miss Wilkerson’s latest.

I finished this book today and while it was a slow start, the story really begins to shine when we really get behind the history and present day story of the family connected to Old Mo. I didn’t care much for Avery or Henry’s POV, but the beauty of this story lies in Baz, Ebby, Ed, Soh, all the Freeman’s, Moses, Betsy. That’s where it comes alive. The story of a generation of survivors and those who continued to survive, even those who did so in death. A good second to Black Cake, can’t wait to continue to read more from this author for years to come

After being so impressed with Black Cake, I found myself disappointed by this author's second work. The story doesn't get started really until 45% in and instead is laden with repetitive inner musings (we get it that she doesn't want to be seen and judged by people who gossip about her tragedy). The second half somewhat redeems the book but honestly all of Ebbys relationship drama with Henry and Avery is not at all additive to the core of the story. The tale of the jar, however, is compelling.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson, we meet Ebby, a woman haunted by the trauma of witnessing her older brother Baz's murder when she was just ten years old. Decades later, reeling from being jilted at the altar, she decides to start anew in France. However, her fresh start takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her ex-fiancé and his new girlfriend are also staying at the same guest house.

The narrative intricately weaves between the 1800s, when Ebby’s ancestors were enslaved, and 2019. Central to the story is a priceless jug that has been in her family for 175 years, representing survival, love, and the search for identity.

While the book captivated me from beginning to end, I found myself questioning its true focus. Is it about the enduring impact of slavery on descendants? Is it a journey of self-discovery amidst tragedy and lost love? Does it explore the complexities of being African-American today, growing up wealthy, or solving a murder mystery? I'm left uncertain.

The story builds up to what feels like a significant conclusion, but the ending fell a bit flat for me, leaving some threads unresolved.
I'm giving it four stars, because it's not a bad book at all, I just am unsure what the author was trying to grasp here.

After having read “Black Cake.” I was thrilled to see another book from Charmaine Wilkerson. I thought the chapter structures and rotating POVs was a brilliant stylistic choice that supported the central theme of history being made up of a chorus of voices. I was instantly engaged with the book as I began reading, however some of the events in the middle of the book lost my interest and didn’t seem to contribute to the overall story. The ending of the book recaptured my attention and left me with some beautiful concepts will stick with me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing.

This is my second book by Wilkerson and I was excited to read it as I loved the first one. It did not disappoint! I loved Ebby and her experiences and the jar had such an interesting history. Written by the characters' points of view and alternating with the past history of Ebby's ancestors and Mo, made for a GREAT, page-turning read! Excellent!

Beautifully written story about family, tragedy, loss, and legacy. An important novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213618132

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Is there a memory you hold so precious that you never want to let it go? Life can change in an instant and Good Dirt is a beautifully haunting reminder of that. A powerful tale of strength across generations as a family rises from slavery to wealth, yet even living an affluent life cannot erase the insurmountable grief that can accompany life. Spanning centuries, this beautifully atmospheric read demonstrates the amazingly strong connections we have to the earth and our ancestors. Through the trials and loss in Good Dirt a hopeful tone weaves throughout, reminding us of the beauty and possibilities for the future. Charmaine Wilkerson delivers a poignantly rich read.




Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

GOOD DIRT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Release date 1/28/25. A really great read. At the age of 10, Ebbys entire life was changed by a devastating family tragedy, revolving around a family heirloom going back generations. Years later, when Ebby is getting married, and gets left at the alter, she flees to France and must face the past. This was a really novel, that was really well written. A story of triumph, love, respect, pain, tradition, friendship. Overall, I really loved it, and cried, but I felt that there may of been almost too many POVs, the timeline make me have to scroll back to catch up a few times.

I was so excited to get the opportunity to read Good Dirt, after absolutely loving Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake, which was so incredibly fascinating all the way to the end. I LOVED that story! I was expecting to have such an experience with Good Dirt, but I ended up feeling somewhat let down by this book. Maybe I should not have been comparing the two stories, but I couldn't help it.

Good Dirt tells the story of Ebby and how she and her ancestors came to be in America. Little girl Ebby has witnessed something horrible, and grown Ebby has experienced a tragic love disaster. There are two stories happening and several points of view are presented throughout the book, and that aspect was a little confusing at times. The ancient pot, Big Mo, is it's own character in the book, and much of the book centers around Big Mo. The history part was presented in a way that I didn't really find compelling. Ebby's life and her grief and disappointments were interesting. Ultimately, it all came together at the end, but I found it all a little flat. I think there was just too much in this book and a lack of "punch" at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Good Dirt.

This is a spoiler free review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I am lovingly giving this book 4⭐️’s.

I would easily recommend my friends to read this book, no question.

I have to start with a quote near the end of the book that took me from frustration to fully embracing the composition of this novel.

“History, too often, has been told from only certain perspectives. This is not good enough. History is a collective phenomenon. It can only be told through a chorus of voices.”

This story is told in 3rd person from the perspective of several different people. We also move back and forth through various points of time throughout the course of the book as the story of the jug and how it came to be unfolded.

About halfway through the book, I got to the point where I felt like I heard everybody’s voice. I was glad it was in 3rd person and not 1st, because that would have been extremely off putting, but so many individuals had a story to be told.

I was ready to come here and fuss about direction and purpose and yada-yada, until that quote. I love it so much I’ll put it down again.

“History, too often, has been told from only certain perspectives. This is not good enough. History is a collective phenomenon. It can only be told through a chorus of voices.”

There was 6% of the book left and that’s when I got it. Yes, this was a book about Ebby and her growth. But it is also a book about history, actually, multiple histories, the people, and their voices who tell it.

This is not a fast read.

This is not a piece of women’s fiction

This is a piece of work about the voices that create a story. Even the voices you may not want to hear. Especially the voices you have cast as the villain.

They have a voice in the story of a shared history.

This book is an example of how to hear all of those

"Good Dirt" by Charmaine Wilkerson is a touching story about family, history, and identity. The main character, Ebby Freeman, has to forge her own life path after her life is irrevocably changed at the age of ten when she witnessed the aftermath of a tragic event involving her brother Baz and a shattered, centuries-old stoneware jar—a cherished family heirloom brought North by an enslaved ancestor. This jar had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. The Freemans are one of the few wealthy Black families in their mostly white New England town, and the tragedy drew a lot of unwanted public attention. As an adult, Ebby's high-profile relationship ends, bringing her back into the spotlight. To escape, she moves to France, hoping to find peace and answers.

Wilkerson, who used to be a journalist, tells the story from multiple viewpoints. She shows how past events shape who we are today. I struggled with some aspects of Ebby's journey not being fully fleshed out (her time spent in France, for example) and the timing of intersecting storylines that made the emotional components of the book difficult to follow. Otherwise, I would have rated the book a bit higher.

'Good Dirt' explores how the Freeman family deals with being admired and judged for their success and rich family history. Despite the loss of Baz and the heirloom, the family stays strong and connected. As Ebby learns more about the jar's importance, she begins to heal and understand herself better. "Good Dirt" is a beautiful story about honoring our past and finding strength in our roots, even after experiencing great loss. I love how the ending shows hope for reclaiming what remains even in the face of tremendous trauma and loss. Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the opportunity to read Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. Ms. Wilkerson had written another sweeping, evocative, important book that I cannot praise highly enough.

When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get.

So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor.

This is an amazing follow up to Black Cake, which was one of my favorite reads in 2022. Wilkerson weaves a beautiful tale exploring grief, trauma, racism, and bravery in this dual timeline. This will go down as one of my favorite reads for 2024.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!