I read Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson with my library book club; I listened to the audiobook while following along in a print copy for a full immersion experience. While January LaVoy's narration was excellent, I was surprised that a Black narrator wasn't utilized.
Told in two interwoven plots, the contemporary features Ebby, a journalist who's grieving recent as well as childhood losses. The other is comprised of historic âepisodes' from a variety of time periods. Both are linked by a very special pottery jar; readers follow it from its creation to present day, resulting in a large cast of characters. However, I was easily able to track them unlike in Black Cake, the author's debut.
Good Dirt is a powerful combination of historical fiction, family drama, and mystery. It's a very emotional story, not only because it includes slave history. A few of the events in the âpresent' timeline seemed implausible, but they made for lively conversation at our book club meeting. I really liked the novel's ending; the author painted a wonderful visual image of the power of legacy.
Told in two interwoven plots, the contemporary features Ebby, a journalist who's grieving recent as well as childhood losses. The other is comprised of historic âepisodes' from a variety of time periods. Both are linked by a very special pottery jar; readers follow it from its creation to present day, resulting in a large cast of characters. However, I was easily able to track them unlike in Black Cake, the author's debut.
Good Dirt is a powerful combination of historical fiction, family drama, and mystery. It's a very emotional story, not only because it includes slave history. A few of the events in the âpresent' timeline seemed implausible, but they made for lively conversation at our book club meeting. I really liked the novel's ending; the author painted a wonderful visual image of the power of legacy.
Good Dirt, like Charmaine Wilkerson's debut Black Cake, covers a lot of ground. At the center of the story is Ebony "Ebby" Freeman. Ebby's story is about coming to terms with her past and forging a path forward. The Freeman's story is being the only Black family in a neighborhood and of their son's brutal death. Old Mo's story is of past generations, of slavery, of defiance, and of a journey to freedom. Another wonderful story by the author.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2025/02/good-dirt.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2025/02/good-dirt.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
