GOOD DIRT is Charmaine Wilkerson’s second novel, following her bestselling debut, BLACK CAKE, which was adapted into a Hulu series in 2023.

Wilkerson’s impressive sophomore effort begins with a photo of Ed Freeman; his wife, Soh; and their two children --- 15-year-old Baz and 10-year-old Ebby. The usual family skirmishes about where to take the first-day-of-school picture occur, and then they go to the library. They gather around an old stoneware jar that has been decorated for the occasion. There’s a baseball cap sitting on the top with a rakish air and a black paper handlebar moustache to suggest a face. And stacked beside the jar on the coffee table are scattered textbooks. “Old Mo” is ready for school, too.

"Ebby Freeman is a character to cherish. We see the deep search for what she has forgotten and what she must remember in order to bring her to a quiet resolution of her own worth."

The family laughs. Baz wanted to surprise them, especially his little sister. Their laughter is mingled with the sense of heritage and pride that is prompted by their standing together, one by one leaning in to embrace “Old Mo.” Baz and Ebby have been told many times that the jar was created by Moses, a slave in the Deep South who had imprinted on its bottom the five words that changed his life. They were hidden under a delicate design because knowing how to read and write would have cost Moses his life.

Over the years, the jar had protected dry beans and beef jerky, secret messages, children’s beloved toys, and a piece of branded wood guaranteeing safe passage for slaves who carried it. Then it had resolutely yet cautiously traveled to Massachusetts, where it was claimed many decades later by one of Moses’ descendants, Ed Freeman.

A month after the family photograph was taken, two thieves break into the Freemans’ home, fatally shooting Baz and breaking the jar.

This tragic death remains at the forefront of the family’s lives. The community never forgets, labeling Ebby as “that girl” at school and social events. Wilkerson introduces their neighbors, local friends and Ebby’s fiancé. The story shifts back and forth from the present day to hundreds of years earlier when slaves came to the United States. Moses was aware of the meaning of good dirt and where to find it; he knew how to create masterpieces. He also hoped that the jar he made would carry the hidden message of bravery and courage into the next generations.

Wilkerson labels short chapters with the many characters’ names and adds simple titles, such as Disquiet, Potential, Searching and Confrontation. The precision of the naming adds interest and perspective, and I appreciated these details very much.

GOOD DIRT sits on a personal tragedy that tears apart the lives of ordinary people. Baz’s unsolved murder creates nightmare circumstances that are compounded by the loss of their family heirloom. Against this backdrop, Wilkerson shows the continued divide between white and Black America. The Freemans know their history, from the earliest cruelty of Black people being exploited in slavery. Ebby is exposed to subtler yet still deeply rooted discrimination in 2021 Massachusetts.

Ebby Freeman is a character to cherish. We see the deep search for what she has forgotten and what she must remember in order to bring her to a quiet resolution of her own worth.