“Words have power. So does the absence of words. Sometimes, when people choose not to speak, their silence can block out the sun.”
I think I may have loved this one more than Black Cake
Summary - Good Dirt is an engrossing epic that explores how intergenerational trauma shapes and complicates family legacies and bonds.
I had read a lot of reviews that mentioned the jumping around being a negative thing but don’t let that mislead you into not reading this gem. There is jumping BUT each jump follows one family through history so there is purpose and it all falls together beautifully in the end.
One final quote because it was too important not to share: “History, too often, has been told from only certain perspectives. This is not good enough. History is a collective phenomenon. It can only be told through a chorus of voices. And that chorus must make room for new voices over time.”
Have you read Black Cake or Good Dirt? I highly recommend them both!
Thank you @libro for the listening copy - I absolutely loved listening to this story unfold.
Find Good Dirt at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
