Good Dirt

I enjoyed Black Cake quite a bit, which made Good Dirt feel like a disappointing follow-up. It seems to be an attempt to replicate a similar formula, but it just doesn’t work as well.

The biggest issue for me was the structure. The novel jumps between a lot of different perspectives, often in extremely short chapters, to the point that the story rarely has a chance to build momentum. The historical sections, in particular, jump around so much that they lose much of the significance they are meant to carry. Plus, there seem to be random side stories thrown in that add no value at all. What’s with the French murder mystery side that lasted only about two pages?

Wilkerson asks the reader to invest enormous importance in certain modern events surrounding the heirloom jar at the center of the story, but that importance never felt believable. The revelations framed as major “secrets” ultimately felt confusingly trivial.

The characters didn’t do much to salvage the experience. Many felt bland or outright unlikable, particularly Henry, whose irritating entitled behavior is met with an inexplicable level of forgiveness and acceptance. That said, I did appreciate the perspective of a wealthy Black family with a long-established legacy, a perspective I don’t hear from much.

Book author: Charmaine Wilkerson