interesting way to craft a memoir of sorts - I found myself wishing there were more in-depth chapters of Jeff's story in it, and less of the nature stuff, but I'm fully an indoor kid :)

My neighborhood book club is reading John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed and I took a break from Jeff Chu's Good Soil to reacquaint myself with Green's essay collection before this month's meeting. Which I didn't need to do because it turns out I had forgotten to change the date in my calendar and so I waltzed into a stranger's house, right through the front door, with cookies and a pitcher of Diet Dr. Pepper (because fountain is better than bottled) on the wrong night. Yes, it was as mortifying as it sounds. But due to this unfortunate mishap, I had the happy accident of reading John Green and Jeff Chu in conversation with each other and that was a treat! I don't think I would have made the connection on my own but both have a very pastoral voice when they write. I think what I mean by pastoral is they both acknowledge the overwhelming grief of life while encouraging us to have faith there will also be joy. I posted the following to the neighborhood book club about The Anthropocene Reviewed and I think it is an equally valid description of Good Soil, "This is such a warm and lovely book written by a person who has a gift for letting their vulnerability show in beautiful ways." Thank you to Jeff Chu, Convergent Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

Another book I believe Good Soil should be read in conversation with is Camille T. Dungy's Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden. Both books are part memoir, part history lesson. They explore gardening and racism. They confront very real systems of oppression and still leave room for hope. Honestly, if anyone is looking for a book club idea, I would throw in a little Ross Gay and Annie Dillard and make a series of it.

And now we get to the warning section of this review. I cried. I first encountered Chu during a writing workshop. Since then, I've attended various conferences where he has spoken. I knew the tears were coming. I was prepared. But if this is your first encounter, let me warn you, you will be moved. Chu has a way of telling his own story in a way that resonates with your own and there is never a dry eye left by the time he is done. Have a hanky handy is all I'm saying.

Reading Good Soil was the treat for my heart and soul I thought it would be. The writing is lovely. The stories are achingly vulnerable. The emotions are earned. And in the end, through all the grief, love wins.

This was such a good book! I love how the characters are not just people in this book, the nature and animals are also characters. This writer is so talented and I love the symbolism they create and pair. The creating of "good soil" both literally and figuratively is great, there were a lot of great call outs in this book!


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!