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A review by kba76
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A fascinating story, and one which I found very hard to put down. Good Dirt is a story that offers many different ways in. I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this prior to publication.
The story focuses primarily on the character of Ebby Freeman, who as a young girl of ten was witness to the shooting of her older brother. Blaming herself for forcing him to play hide and seek, Ebby has never shared that she heard the gunmen come in and ask her brother where the precious family heirloom - a jar that had been made by their enslaved ancestor - was. She has never shared that her brother tried to save the family heirloom and, as a result, was shot. Neither Ebby nor her parents has ever really talked about the events of that day, or the precious object that led to these events taking place.
When the story opens Ebby has run away to France, trying to get over the upset felt at being dumped on her wedding day by her white fiancé Henry. She is, understandably, shocked when Henry arrives to stay with his new girlfriend at the same place Ebby is looking after.
Though Ebby is at the forefront of much of the story, I was captivated by the details given about the family history and the significance of the jar. It felt fitting that much of the story centred on the role it played within the lives of the respective family members.
The story focuses primarily on the character of Ebby Freeman, who as a young girl of ten was witness to the shooting of her older brother. Blaming herself for forcing him to play hide and seek, Ebby has never shared that she heard the gunmen come in and ask her brother where the precious family heirloom - a jar that had been made by their enslaved ancestor - was. She has never shared that her brother tried to save the family heirloom and, as a result, was shot. Neither Ebby nor her parents has ever really talked about the events of that day, or the precious object that led to these events taking place.
When the story opens Ebby has run away to France, trying to get over the upset felt at being dumped on her wedding day by her white fiancé Henry. She is, understandably, shocked when Henry arrives to stay with his new girlfriend at the same place Ebby is looking after.
Though Ebby is at the forefront of much of the story, I was captivated by the details given about the family history and the significance of the jar. It felt fitting that much of the story centred on the role it played within the lives of the respective family members.