Charmaine Wilkerson, the acclaimed author of the award-winning “Black Cake”, has returned with her highly anticipated new novel, “Good Dirt”, published on January 28 by Penguin Random House. With her signature blend of lyrical storytelling and rich, layered narratives, Wilkerson once again delves into themes of family, identity, and the secrets buried beneath the surface of our lives. “Good Dirt” is set to captivate readers with its powerful exploration of heritage and resilience, cementing Wilkerson’s place as a literary voice that continues to resonate on a global scale.
“Black Cake” was featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Essence, Parade, PEOPLE magazine, WWD, W magazine, BookPage, InStyle, BBC News, British Vogue, Grazia, Times Sunday Magazine, Town & Country, Vulture & others, and was adapted for the screen by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, award-winning screenwriter/creator Marissa Jo Cerar, and Kapital Entertainment.
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About The Book
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 New York Times had this to say: “Engrossing…Wilkerson masterfully weaves these threads of love, loss and legacy through Old Mo’s journey as well as the ongoing mystery of Baz’s murder. The result is a thoroughly researched and beautifully imagined family saga, with a moving and hopeful ending.”
About Charmaine
Charmaine Wilkerson is a Caribbean-American writer who has lived in Jamaica and Italy. Her newest novel is Good Dirt. Her debut novel Black Cake is a New York Times bestseller, a #ReadWithJenna book club pick, and the basis for the Hulu/Disney+ screen series of the same name. Charmaine is a former news and communication professional whose award-winning short fiction has appeared in various anthologies and magazines.
