"Good Dirt" by Charmaine Wilkerson is a compelling novel that expertly intertwines family secrets with environmental themes, making it a resonant and timely read. Wilkerson's prose is fluid and evocative, capturing the lush landscapes and the intense emotions of her characters with equal skill. The narrative switches between different periods and perspectives, piecing together a family's history like a jigsaw puzzle. This structure enhances the storytelling, as each chapter reveals new layers of intrigue and complexity.

The characters are deeply flawed yet sympathetic, and their struggles are portrayed with a genuine sensitivity that makes them relatable. The environmental aspect of the story adds a unique twist, tying the family's personal history to broader themes of sustainability and legacy.

While the novel's pace occasionally slows due to its detailed descriptions and complex structure, this also allows for a richer, more immersive experience. "Good Dirt" is a thought-provoking book that successfully balances human drama with ecological urgency, earning a well-deserved four stars. It's recommended for those who enjoy family sagas with a meaningful message.

Charmaine Wilkerson is an amazing author. I will forever read anything that she writes. Good Dirt was her latest work of art. It was fabulous. A must read.

This books confirms that Wilson is one of the most talented writers I’ve read! What a creative story! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This was fantastic with rich history and characters.

Certain aspects of the narrative deeply resonated with me, however, the multitude of timelines and the constant shifting between them, along with the various storylines, felt somewhat disjointed. In my view, the plot had an excess of elements and a more concentrated focus on the tale of the heirloom jar and Ebby's struggle with the aftermath of her brother's loss would have sufficed. The events involving Henry's injury in France and the interactions between Avery and Ebby appeared extraneous and did not contribute significantly to the central narrative. Additionally, the rationale behind Henry's decision to call off the wedding struck me as implausible. While I found the book engaging, I believe that a more streamlined focus would have elevated its impact. I particularly appreciated the inscription on the jar.

In “Good Dirt,” Charmaine Wilkerson crafts a compelling narrative that explores themes of family, grief, and identity. The story follows Ebby Freeman, a member of an affluent African American family from New England, as she recovers from the fallout of being left by her fiancé on their wedding day. The public breakup thrusts her into the spotlight she has been trying to avoid since she was a child. Ebby’s struggle with public scrutiny is compounded by the traumatic legacy of her brother’s death during a robbery at their home when she was just ten years old. Wilkerson masterfully explores how personal and ancestral histories shape who we become. With thorough research and impeccable writing, “Good Dirt” is a poignant and emotional tale that will resonate with readers who appreciated Wilkerson’s previous novel, “Black Cake.” Highly recommended for anyone seeking a deeply moving story.

This book was wonderfully written and touched all kinds of emotions in me. Who would have known that a simple game of hide and seek would lead to such a heartbreaking tragedy. Unfortunately, it was just the beginning for Ebby. Great book but definitely will pull at your heart strings.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review

I really liked the dual timelines in this book. Ebby was a wonderful character that took you on her journey throughout the whole story. The writing from the author was excellent. I really enjoyed all of the history in the book and how Ebby learned about her ancestors' and the stoneware jar. This just overall a great book.

Parts of this story really resonated with me but there were so many timelines and the hopping back and forth between them and the different storylines was kinda all over the place for me. For me this had too much going on and a tighter focus on the story of the heirloom jar and the trauma Ebby faced after the loss of her brother would have been enough, Henry getting hurt in France and Avery and Ebby hanging out together seemed extra and unimportant to the story and just too much going on. Also, the whole reason Henry called off the wedding was just implausible for me.
A good read but a tighter focus would have knocked this book out of the park in my opinion.
I did love the inscription on the jar.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 stars rounded up; the long awaited second novel from the author of Black Cake, @charmspen1 - Good Dirt is a multiple POV, cross genre novel that took my breath away. Historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and mystery; this novel follows the affluent Freeman family from all the way back in Barbados in the 1600’s, a South Carolinian plantation, to 2000 New England and 2019 French countryside.

Ebony “Ebby” Freeman has never had social media; she was most famous for a photo taken of her as a ten year old, in anguish as she discovered her 15 year old brother has been brutally murdered. No need to put herself out there; two years ago she was left at the altar at her wedding to famous financier Henry. A symbol of their family triumph through tragedy, they have a 200 year old clay jar that was crafted by an enslaved ancestor and carried through time.

My only criticism is that when we finally discover Henry’s reason for leaving Ebby, it seems sort of ridiculous. It didn’t fit with the rest of his character, although he was an interesting and nuanced love interest. Ebby is flawed but intelligent, someone who is trying in every way to not carry the trauma of her past into her future.

If you like multi-generational family drama, you will love this. Put it on your list, and prepare to develop a desire to research parts of history you may not have learned in school.

Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for an ARC of this novel, book to be published January 28, 2025.

I would rate this 3 1/2 stars. The writing is excellent as usual for this author, but the dual timelines made this a bit less compelling read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A tragedy reshapes the Freeman family's history, influencing their paths with the resulting perceptions, traumas, resentments, and redemptions that define their future.

Ten-year-old Ebby Freeman only wanted to play hide and seek one last time with her brother, even though they were in a hurry to leave the house. Her brother Baz never denied her request. From her hiding spot, she overheard two masked men threatening her brother, followed by a gunshot that froze time. Ebby remained still for a few moments before rushing to her father's study, where she found the family's ancient heirloom stoneware jar broken. The thieves, who sought to steal the jar, killed her brother, who bravely tried to protect it. Feeling as though they had taken everything from her family, she couldn't bring herself to tell the officers the thieves' motives and blamed herself for keeping her brother in the house during the home invasion.

Nearly two decades later, Ebby faces another tragedy when her white, privileged fiancé abandons her at the altar without explanation, thrusting her back into the spotlight for her perceived bad luck, much like when she survived the home invasion that took her father away for years.

Each family member copes with grief in their way. Her mother, Soh, becomes overly protective of Ebby, while her father grows more silent, taking more business trips and spending hours in the basement. Ebby keeps up appearances by excelling academically and honing her writing skills. After her fiancé's humiliation, she decides to escape her PTSD and night terrors by accepting an offer to watch over a friend's rental estate in France.

However, her time in France, nine months after her breakup, doesn't bring the closure she hoped for. Instead, she finds the estate rented by Henry and his new attorney girlfriend, Avery, leading to an unexpected confrontation. Ebby is forced to face her unresolved issues and listen to Henry's reasons for their breakup, all while being drawn to another man she never expected to meet. A new tragedy compels her to team up with an unlikely ally.

Ebby also connects with her ancestors' stories, learning about the nineteenth-century heirloom stoneware jar passed down for six generations. The jar's history includes Edward "Willis" Freeman, her great-great-grandfather, who escaped slavery by stowing away on a ship from South Carolina to Massachusetts. The narrative delves into the lives of Old Mo, Betsey, and Willis' wife Aquinnah, highlighting their sacrifices and the jar's role in aiding others escaping slavery.

The past and present intertwine through multiple perspectives, offering heart-wrenching yet hopeful stories that envision a brighter, more open-minded, and peaceful future.

This book beautifully explores grief, trauma, mental health, ancestry, racism, bravery, inheritance, and the importance of respecting history to shape one's present and future. I enjoyed "Good Dirt" as much as "Black Cake" and highly recommend it to fans of inspirational historical fiction and the author's previous work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for sharing this epic historical fiction's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Charmaine Wilkerson has created a wondrous novel in which she writes of family ties and history, despair and hope, slavery and freedom, tragedy and renewal through a beloved family heirloom. She brings exquisite beauty and detail to her writing that takes you on a journey from Ebby, a modern day woman who is still traumatized by the murder of her brother, back to Kandia, her ancestor stolen from her home in Africa and enslaved in America. And with it she shares the mostly unknown story of enslaved potters in South Carolina who created incredible works of art that can still be seen and studied. Old Mo is just such a piece of pottery, and Wilkerson deftly weaves the history of Old Mo with the history of the family that escaped from enslavement. One amazing aspect of the novel was that the reader doesn’t feel separated from the story, but included in it, Good Dirt is both a uniquely African American story, but also a story that embraces the shared history of all Americans. I highly recommend this novel.

Ebby Freeman was 10 when she heard gunshots and seen her brother lying on the floor along with a piece of her heritage - a jar. Her life drastically changes, the crime is never solved, and Ebby flees to France. Little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future.

I loved Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, and was so delighted to receive a copy of Good Dirt via Netgalley.