Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson | Review of Literary Historical Fiction

This spoiler-free review of Good Dirt, a moving literary historical fiction novel by Charmaine Wilkerson, includes everything you’d want to know before picking up this highly anticipated 2025 book. I share my favorite book quotes from Good Dirt, what I really thought of this hyped release, a brief synopsis, book club discussion questions, similar books, other books by Charmaine Wilkerson, and more!

Thank you to @Libro.fm and @netgalley for gifting me this complimentary book. My review reflects my honest thoughts.

Good Dirt Book Review / Summary

Good Dirt is a sweeping multigenerational family saga with a mystery thrown in and a sprinkling of romance for good measure. It tackles themes of family legacy, lineage, class, race, discrimination, grief, forgiveness, identity, and so much more!

We follow Ebby Freeman, whose life was forever changed when her brother, Baz, was killed during a home break-in when she was just ten years old.

And now, as a young woman, Ebby’s life is falling apart again, and she runs away to France to hide from her past and present.

The cold case of her brother’s death was never solved, but it haunts her and her parents, affecting their decisions and rewriting the stories they tell themselves.

The crime left behind the shattered pieces of her family—mirrored through the shattered pieces of a beloved centuries-old jar heirloom the thieves left before fleeing.

What unravels are multiple stories within stories and a sharp depiction of Black family life within a predominantly white community.

But more than that, we see a Black family face the truth, mend the broken pieces of their lives left by grief and trauma, and come together to create new stories of hope and resilience.

I’m not sure I liked it as much as Black Cake, but I really, really enjoyed it. It definitely makes my list for some of the best new historical fiction books of the year!

The multigenerational stories were quite ambitious, and at times, they felt a little disjointed. I physically read and listened to this book at the same time, so perhaps this is why? But at the same time, I do think this could be an intentional move by the author.

There were so many loose threads throughout the book that were vaguely connected, this ebb and flow to the characters’ days, which truly does feel like real life.

Blending Genres and Multiple POVs

The multiple POVs also made it feel like we were getting slivers of stories. I didn’t mind it at all. In fact, I loved that feeling of wondering where she was going to go next—nothing was predictable to me. She blends the history, romance, mystery, and family drama so well.

The hurt between characters, the revelations of forgiveness and healing, the acceptance that sometimes the stories we tell ourselves are not the real or complete ones and we must confront this truth with trusted people—it was so human and so moving.

The book is fast-paced, the characters were wonderful with so much depth . . . maybe a bit shrouded in mystery, but I kind of loved that?

In general, the whole book was so smart and complex. I learned a lot more after discussing the book with my virtual book club, which is why I think this is one of the best book club books for 2025!

The jar served as the physical manifestation of the grief and trauma of the family, and the story surrounding the jar was so tender and powerful.

The Title and Cover

Even the title, Good Dirt, was so perfect in its double meaning. You have the good dirt or clay needed to make this type of mass-produced pottery by enslaved people—a part of our American history that’s largely forgotten.

And also “good dirt” is another way to say “good gossip,” something Ebby was at the center of growing up (1) because of her brother’s death and (2) because she was a wealthy Black girl in a predominantly white community.

And the cover! Simultaneously a silhouette of a face and a broken jar?! Well done to the cover designer. That’s all I have to say on that!

Favorite Quotes from Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

People were wired to persevere. People were wired for hope. People might feel hurt, but they still liked to laugh. They might lose someone dear, but they still wanted to love.

—Charmaine Wilkerson, Good Dirt

To tell your story was to experience a kind of freedom. To be able to share news of your adventures, and name your relations and favorite place, was to be a man.

—Charmaine Wilkerson, Good Dirt

He imagined the Spirit of God as described in the book of Genesis, hovering over the waters as He brought forth light and land. This must be something like the world that God had generated in those first few days, Willis thought, before He created man to rule over the other creatures of the earth and sea. Before everything went wrong. Surely this was the world that God had intended, for the place Willis had come from was not.

—Charmaine Wilkerson, Good Dirt

Words have power. So does the absence of words. Sometimes, when people choose not to speak, their silence can block out the sun.

—Charmaine Wilkerson, Good Dirt

Most of the trouble in this world boils down to one person not recognizing the worth of another.

—Charmaine Wilkerson, Good Dirt

History, too often, has been told from only certain perspectives. This is not good enough. History is a collective phenomenon. It can only be told through a chorus of voices. And that chorus must make room for new voices over time.

—Charmaine Wilkerson, Good Dirt

RELATED: Book Review: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Book Club Discussion Questions for Good Dirt

• Ice breaker question: What’s the most beloved sentimental object in your home and why?
• What was the significance of Ebby’s hair color changes? What did this habit tell you about her personality or life experiences?
• What did you think of Henry and his role in Ebby’s life? How did that opinion change throughout the book?
• How did Ebby, her father, and her mother each individually respond to the trauma and grief of losing Baz? How did his death affect their decisions day to day?
• What does a Black family having a centuries-old stoneware jar heirloom mean in light of legacy and Black American history?
• How did you feel about the format of the book and the way the author blends mystery, romance, family drama, and history?
• What did you think about the history of the jar and its central place in Ebby’s family life?
• How did the multiple perspectives affect your reading experience? Were there any characters you wanted to see more of? Were there some you didn’t connect with as much? Why?
• Ebby grew up in an affluent Black family in a wealthy white neighborhood, despite her grandmother’s criticisms. How do the themes of class and race push the story forward in unique and challenging ways?

Other Books by Charmaine Wilkerson

Charmaine’s debut novel is Black Cake, published in February 2022. It’s also a generational family saga and literary mystery—but it’s quite different.

Here’s the publisher’s synopsis of Black Cake:

We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording.

In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder.

The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history.

Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

Similar Books to Good Dirt

These books explore similar themes or are reminiscent of Good Dirt in some way:

• Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card
• Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

My Good Dirt Book Review: Buy This Gem

I recommend Good Dirt if you love books about family legacy and lineage and you enjoy dual timeline historical fiction!

This book does have some heavier themes and may not be for everyone because of its somewhat scattered structure, but it’s such a beautiful and important book. I found it moving, heartbreaking, and completely immersive.