Good Dirt

THE GRIPPING TALE OF LOVE, FAMILY, AND THE SEARCH FOR A NEW BEGINNING, FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK CAKE 'A beautifully imagined family saga, with a moving and hopeful ending’ NEW YORK TIMES 'This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time' ABI DARE 'A sensational story about hidden heartbreak, hope, and the power of embracing one's ancestry' JESSICA GEORGE, author of MAAME 'Will be every reader's highlight of 2025' ETHAN JOELLA, author of THE SAME BRIGHT STARS 'Glittering and discerning prose, poignant yet hopeful' NIKKI MAY, author of WAHALA — A family full of secrets. A chance to set them all free. When Ebby Freeman travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow. Nearly twenty years earlier, the Freemans were the only African American family living in a wealthy coastal enclave in Connecticut when armed robbers invaded their home and tragedy changed their lives forever. Then, just as Ebby thought she had a new chance at happiness, her storybook romance with Henry fell apart. Now, this unexpected encounter with Henry will force Ebby to reckon with her past and to think on the other loss her family suffered that day – the destruction of a beloved stoneware jar crafted by an enslaved ancestor and passed down through the generations. A piece that might hold not only her family history, but also the key to reclaiming her future. -- 'One of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time' ABI DARE, author of THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE 'I'm in utter awe of Charmaine - she is the real real' HARRIET CONSTABLE, author of THE INSTRUMENTALIST 'Her brilliance knows no adequate words' ORE AGBAJE WILLIAMS, author of THE THREE OF US Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'You can't help but fall in love with this book' Stylist 'A novelist to watch' Independent 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid

THE GRIPPING TALE OF LOVE, FAMILY, AND THE SEARCH FOR A NEW BEGINNING, FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK CAKE 'A beautifully imagined family saga, with a moving and hopeful ending’ NEW YORK TIMES 'This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time' ABI DARE 'A sensational story about hidden heartbreak, hope, and the power of embracing one's ancestry' JESSICA GEORGE, author of MAAME 'Will be every reader's highlight of 2025' ETHAN JOELLA, author of THE SAME BRIGHT STARS 'Glittering and discerning prose, poignant yet hopeful' NIKKI MAY, author of WAHALA — A family full of secrets. A chance to set them all free. When Ebby Freeman travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow. Nearly twenty years earlier, the Freemans were the only African American family living in a wealthy coastal enclave in Connecticut when armed robbers invaded their home and tragedy changed their lives forever. Then, just as Ebby thought she had a new chance at happiness, her storybook romance with Henry fell apart. Now, this unexpected encounter with Henry will force Ebby to reckon with her past and to think on the other loss her family suffered that day – the destruction of a beloved stoneware jar crafted by an enslaved ancestor and passed down through the generations. A piece that might hold not only her family history, but also the key to reclaiming her future. -- 'One of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time' ABI DARE, author of THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE 'I'm in utter awe of Charmaine - she is the real real' HARRIET CONSTABLE, author of THE INSTRUMENTALIST 'Her brilliance knows no adequate words' ORE AGBAJE WILLIAMS, author of THE THREE OF US Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'You can't help but fall in love with this book' Stylist 'A novelist to watch' Independent 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick "Engrossing . . . Wilkerson masterfully weaves these threads of love, loss and legacy [into] a thoroughly researched and beautifully imagined family saga."-- The New York Times LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL - A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME , NPR, Marie Claire, People, Chicago Public Library, Christian Science Monitor, Denver Public Library When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved--and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England--the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get. So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago--the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history--it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future. In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick "Engrossing . . . Wilkerson masterfully weaves these threads of love, loss and legacy [into] a thoroughly researched and beautifully imagined family saga."-- The New York Times LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL - A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME , NPR, Marie Claire, People, Chicago Public Library, Christian Science Monitor, Denver Public Library When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved--and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England--the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get. So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago--the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history--it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future. In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.

A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF 2025 A PRIMA BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS LONGLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION 'A beautifully imagined family saga' NEW YORK TIMES 'Chapters that push your tear ducts to the limits' SCOTSMAN 'A moving multigenerational tale' WASHINGTON POST 'Remarkable . . . Lingers long after the final page' ABI DARÉ 'A novelist to watch' INDEPENDENT - 'Forget the wedding. Forget the shooting' The trouble is Ebby Freeman can never forget. Not the ex-fiancé who walked out on their wedding day. Not the death of her brother when she was a kid. Not the family whose expectations she must carry alone. Ebby's life and heartbreak have been so terribly public that now all she wants to do is hide. But fleeing her Connecticut home for France doesn't stop her running into her ex and his new girlfriend. Stuck with the last people she wants to see, Ebby faces a choice. Keep trying to forget the pain of the past, even though no one will let her... Or find her own way of remembering? Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid

A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF 2025 A PRIMA BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS LONGLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION 'A beautifully imagined family saga' NEW YORK TIMES 'Chapters that push your tear ducts to the limits' SCOTSMAN 'A moving multigenerational tale' WASHINGTON POST 'Remarkable . . . Lingers long after the final page' ABI DARÉ 'A novelist to watch' INDEPENDENT - 'Forget the wedding. Forget the shooting' The trouble is Ebby Freeman can never forget. Not the ex-fiancé who walked out on their wedding day. Not the death of her brother when she was a kid. Not the family whose expectations she must carry alone. Ebby's life and heartbreak have been so terribly public that now all she wants to do is hide. But fleeing her Connecticut home for France doesn't stop her running into her ex and his new girlfriend. Stuck with the last people she wants to see, Ebby faces a choice. Keep trying to forget the pain of the past, even though no one will let her... Or find her own way of remembering? Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid

The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved--and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England--the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get. So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago--the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history--it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future. In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.

The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved--and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England--the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get. So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago--the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history--it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future. In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.