Good Dirt is again full of masterful storytelling by Charmaine Wilkerson. I was thrilled to read this second novel, especially after having read and loved Black Cake as much as I did. My biggest gripe with this novel is how much it does. It’s packed. Wilkerson tries to break up the information overload by presenting it in short, 2-5 page vignettes for the reader, and that does help. But there were times I was taken out of the story because I was trying to remember the time frame or character. There’s no groove to get into but perhaps that’s the point? Still, the characters do not suffer for it, and are well developed and truthfully enjoyable to read about despite their hardships. There’s a balance of joy and perseverance.