Good Dirt is a compelling, poignant, and complicated family drama by the author of Black Cake.

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Mystery, African American

***This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @RandomHouse #BallantineBooks for a complimentary eARC of #GoodDirt upon my request. All opinions are my own.

A shattered heart and a shattered heirloom…

When Ebby was ten years old, her brother was fatally shot and a valuable family heirloom was destroyed. Even though hers was a prominent Black family, there was no justice. After her high-profile romance falls apart and after years of being known as “that girl,” Ebby leaves for France, seeking escape and the anonymity she craves. In a surprising turn of events, her past follows her and she’s forced to relive the tragic events of losing her brother and face her ex-fiancé. A historical timeline fills us in on the history of the family heirloom and provides clues that might help solve the crime and explain the significance of the heirloom. Despite the tragedy, the ending is especially satisfactory and hope-filled.

My Thoughts:

Complicated Family Drama

A poignant part of the story is how each person deals with grief in her or his own way, and how childhood trauma (a sibling death) shapes a child’s life. The murder was never solved and Ebby suffered from the notoriety as she grew up. On her wedding day, she is thrust into the public spotlight again. At a breaking point, she accepts a position in France hoping to rebuild her life. However, her past catches up with her there.

Past and Present

The author’s transitions between past and present are smooth and easy to follow. In the present, Ebby is jilted on her wedding day by her fiancé and escapes to France to avoid the humiliation and publicity. In the recent past, we revisit the trauma of her brother’s death in a robbery gone wrong and learn of the irreplaceable family heirloom that shattered along with Ebby’s heart on that day. In a historical timeline, we learn the history of the heirloom. Multiple perspectives and time periods create a complex and multilayered story.

Themes

Thoughtful and discussable themes include sibling relationships, guilt, interracial romance, family secrets, grief, mental health, trauma, racism, slavery, and forgiveness.

Content Consideration: child death, miscarriage

Recommending Good Dirt:

Fans of Black Cake will enjoy this new family drama by Charmaine Wilkerson. If you appreciate complex characters and complicated (but not dysfunctional) family dynamics, you will find a lot to love in Good Dirt. Add this to your February TBR in support of Black authors and “own voices.” My first 5 Star read of the year!

My Rating: 5 Stars

More information Here

Meet the Author of Good Dirt, Charmaine Wilkerson

Charmaine Wilkerson is an American writer who has lived in Jamaica and is now based in Italy. A graduate of Barnard College and Stanford University, she is a former journalist whose award-winning short stories have appeared in various magazines and anthologies. Black Cake is her first novel.

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QOTD:

Do you love complicated family drama?

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