Good Dirt
3499
Good Dirt
3499
From the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake comes a stunningly beautiful tale about love, family and seeking a new life in the aftermath of tragedy Ebby Freeman's life has always been marked with tragedy. First, the death of her brother Baz, killed in an anonymous armed robbery when they were teenagers. Then her perfect fiance Henry deserting her on the day of their wedding, without an explanation. When Ebby arrives in a sleepy French village, she believes she's found an opportunity for healing and anonymity. Until Henry appears, staying at the neighbouring property with his beautiful new girlfriend in tow. It's the worst situation that Ebby can imagine. But might it give her a chance to piece together the fragments of her past - and finally embrace her future?
Wilkerson expertly tackles grief , trauma and the drive to live as you wish , in spite of your family's expectations and your community's barely concealed racism * Daily Express *
A remarkable exploration of family bonds, grief, heartbreak, friendship, and the deep scars of slavery and racism... Wilkerson’s prose is succinct yet richly evocative, masterfully delving into the minds and motivations of her characters and delivering a narrative that lingers long after the final page... This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time. -- Abi Daré, bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice
What a beautiful and masterfully crafted story. I’m in utter awe of Charmaine. I found Ebby’s story just heartbreaking, but ultimately it left me thinking deeply about the process of healing from unspeakable pain and building the muscle of resilience... Charmaine is the real deal - she has SUCH a talent for every aspect of storytelling. I fell in love with her characters; I was gripped by her plot; I adore her words. -- Harriet Constable, author of The Instrumentalist
There are chapters that push your tear ducts to the limits * Scotsman *
A masterclass in storytelling, world-building and drawing characters who feel so real you can reach out to the page and feel them reaching back out toward you. Good Dirt is a searing portrait of grief, of death and life and the truth that one without the other does not exist, that to find new life does not always mean forgetting the past, but reshaping and rebuilding it and realising all the remarkable ways in which it can be reforged. Charmaine Wilkerson is a stunning writer, whose brilliance knows no adequate words, and whose characters will live long in my memory. -- Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of The Three of Us
A sensational intergenerational story about hidden heartbreak, hope, and the restorative power of embracing and sharing one's ancestry. A story not only told incredibly well, but most importantly, a pleasure to read. -- Jessica George, author of MAAME
Good Dirt is a mystery that weaves together multi-generational strands of past and present trauma, from West Africa to Long Island Sound, from the 1800s to the present. Written in glittering and discerning prose, poignant yet hopeful, Good Dirt is a masterful character study exploring the stories we inherit and how the past informs the present. I loved it. Brava, Charmaine. -- Nikki May, author of Wahala and This Motherless Land
A writer of extraordinary gifts. She can capture the arc of a family story like none other. This kaleidoscopic novel of love, loss, and triumph will sit with you for a long time after you finish the last page -- Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Take My Hand
Charmaine Wilkerson has a superb talent for showing how contemporary characters’ lives are entwined with the past, creating a story that is rich in compassion and hope – and utterly engrossing. -- Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How It Ends
Details
ISBN13: 9780241529959
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 384
Edition:
Publication Date: 11 Feb 2025
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 234(H)x156(L)x27(W)461
Weight (gm): 461
Author Biography
Charmaine Wilkerson is the author of Black Cake, a New York Times-bestselling novel. An American writer, she spent much of her childhood living in the Caribbean and is now based in Italy. She is a former television journalist and an award-winning writer of short fiction. Her debut novel Black Cake was selected as a Read With Jenna pick and was adapted for the screen as a Hulu original series airing on Disney+ and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey.Reviews
A thoroughly researched and beautifully imagined family saga, with a moving and hopeful ending * New York TImes *Wilkerson expertly tackles grief , trauma and the drive to live as you wish , in spite of your family's expectations and your community's barely concealed racism * Daily Express *
A remarkable exploration of family bonds, grief, heartbreak, friendship, and the deep scars of slavery and racism... Wilkerson’s prose is succinct yet richly evocative, masterfully delving into the minds and motivations of her characters and delivering a narrative that lingers long after the final page... This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time. -- Abi Daré, bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice
What a beautiful and masterfully crafted story. I’m in utter awe of Charmaine. I found Ebby’s story just heartbreaking, but ultimately it left me thinking deeply about the process of healing from unspeakable pain and building the muscle of resilience... Charmaine is the real deal - she has SUCH a talent for every aspect of storytelling. I fell in love with her characters; I was gripped by her plot; I adore her words. -- Harriet Constable, author of The Instrumentalist
There are chapters that push your tear ducts to the limits * Scotsman *
A masterclass in storytelling, world-building and drawing characters who feel so real you can reach out to the page and feel them reaching back out toward you. Good Dirt is a searing portrait of grief, of death and life and the truth that one without the other does not exist, that to find new life does not always mean forgetting the past, but reshaping and rebuilding it and realising all the remarkable ways in which it can be reforged. Charmaine Wilkerson is a stunning writer, whose brilliance knows no adequate words, and whose characters will live long in my memory. -- Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of The Three of Us
A sensational intergenerational story about hidden heartbreak, hope, and the restorative power of embracing and sharing one's ancestry. A story not only told incredibly well, but most importantly, a pleasure to read. -- Jessica George, author of MAAME
Good Dirt is a mystery that weaves together multi-generational strands of past and present trauma, from West Africa to Long Island Sound, from the 1800s to the present. Written in glittering and discerning prose, poignant yet hopeful, Good Dirt is a masterful character study exploring the stories we inherit and how the past informs the present. I loved it. Brava, Charmaine. -- Nikki May, author of Wahala and This Motherless Land
A writer of extraordinary gifts. She can capture the arc of a family story like none other. This kaleidoscopic novel of love, loss, and triumph will sit with you for a long time after you finish the last page -- Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Take My Hand
Charmaine Wilkerson has a superb talent for showing how contemporary characters’ lives are entwined with the past, creating a story that is rich in compassion and hope – and utterly engrossing. -- Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How It Ends