Good Dirt
A Novel
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4.4 • 115 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
“Engrossing . . . Wilkerson masterfully weaves these threads of love, loss and legacy [into] a thoroughly researched and beautifully imagined family saga.”—The New York Times
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. But 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.
In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We absolutely loved Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel, Black Cake, and its follow-up may be even more compelling. Ebby Freeman, daughter of a prominent Black family in New England, was 10 years old when her older brother, Baz, was killed in a home-invasion robbery targeting a priceless family heirloom. This tragedy has hung over her family for nearly two decades, and when Ebby’s publicly humiliated on her wedding day, she needs to get out. But what’s supposed to be a restorative period at a cozy cottage in rural France soon becomes much more complicated when past relationships and family issues follow her there. Wilkerson skillfully tells Ebby’s story through multiple timelines spanning centuries, exploring how generational trauma can unknowingly shape a person’s actions. This is a remarkable read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Wilkerson's incohesive sophomore novel (after Black Cake), the daughter of a prominent Black New England family contends with heartbreak and trauma. Having recently been left at the altar by her white fiancé, Henry, Ebby is unwillingly back in the spotlight. When she was 10, her name was in the papers after she'd witnessed an armed robber kill her 15-year-old brother, Baz, in their home. Nine months after the breakup, Ebby accepts an offer to manage her friend's rental house in rural France, where she plans to write down the history of a clay pot made by an enslaved craftsman that had been passed down by the Freemans for 150 years, until it was broken the night of Baz's death. Her plans are disrupted, however, when Henry and his new girlfriend turn out to be the house's first guests. The novel poses intriguing questions about the nature of legacy and race relations, and though Wilkerson attempts to connect the plot's various strands through the story of the jar, revealing, for instance, that Henry might know something about the night it was broken, the pieces don't quite come together. Readers will be disappointed.
Customer Reviews
See AllGood Dirt
A most unusual story about a stoneware pot called Old Mo, told over the centuries by members of the family that made it and owned it, told stories about it following the family that carried it from the south to the north. Ebby Freeman is the central in the present day and it is her story that ties the book together. But all the members of her family as well as others whose stories touch hers are intertwined with her. I loved it.
Page Turner
Powerful story - rush to read
The Question, The Answer, and the Book That Gave Me Perspective
Reading “Good Dirt” was an eye-opening and deeply moving experience for me. This book not only captivated me with its storytelling but also helped me make sense of a moment in my past that had long puzzled me. Many years ago, a Caucasian boss of mine asked me, *“Why do you feel like everyone is against you?”* At the time, I didn’t fully understand why she would pose such a question, and I knew she would never grasp the irony of it.
Through “Good Dirt”, I was able to see, with more clarity, the weight of generational pain and systemic disenfranchisement that my ancestors endured. It helped me understand what my answer should have been. The truth is that America has reaped immeasurable benefits from the kidnapping and enslavement of my ancestors, while those same ancestors were denied the opportunity to benefit from the resources and wealth they helped create. Instead, slaveholders and their descendants accumulated generational prosperity built on the labor, ingenuity, and suffering of Black people.
This book brought these truths to life in a way that was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Each character’s story resonated with me, making me reflect on history, resilience, and the strength of those who came before me. “Good Dirt” is not just a novel—it is a powerful reminder of where we come from and how our past still shapes our present. By the time I finished reading, I felt an unexpected sense of joy, not because the injustices of history had been undone, but because I had gained a deeper understanding of my own story and the legacy of my people.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore the truth of our shared history through a compelling and thought-provoking narrative.