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.
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