A review by tdotrenae
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

adventurous informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Charmaine Wilkerson is a PHENOMENAL writer. My goodness! I loved Black Cake and so I immediately wanted to read this one. The way that she weaves a story is incredible. The story follows a very wealthy Black family as they navigate grief, life after the tragic loss of their son and the loss of one of their family heirlooms. I loveddddd the multiple POVS, getting to navigate the world as Ebby, her parents, her ex, and her ancestors. Like this was a beautifully woven story that grapples with wealth, racism, love, grief, loss, finding yourself, and returning back to your roots. I feel like each character brought something to the story and there were no wasted plot lines. As someone who studied Black wealth at one time, it was beautifully done in this story. I loved how the author did not shy away from the unique experiences of racism and colorism that wealthy Black people experience, especially those who’s Blackness is salient to them. I feel like this story captured my attention at like 2% in! I oscillated between the audiobook and e-book and both were wonderful. Shout out to the narrators for this one!

 

The one small thing I did not like is how much spotlight Henry got in the book, but it’s like I understood why. He’s apart of the story with the jar, but I was sick of him sometimes. #TeamEbby! I will say that this is a story you really have to pay attention to, because it is so rich, which is not a draw back for me, but could be for some folks.

 

My main compliant is that I wanted to stay with these characters forever. They were all beautifully complicated and endearing in their unique ways. I love good, well-written characters. I feel like the people who would like this story are folks who love rich, intergenerational stories, multiple timelines, a bit of historical fiction, family drama, a dash of mystery, a tiny touch of love loss, and reconciliation. Honestly, this might make it on my list of “required” readings.