Charmaine Wilkerson is the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake, which was named a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick and adapted as a Hulu streaming series by Oprah Winfrey and Kapital Entertainment. She is an American writer who has lived in Jamaica and Italy. A graduate of Barnard College and Stanford University, she is a former journalist whose award-winning short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies.

"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."--The New York Times​

"[A] moving sophomore novel . . . a multigenerational tale about a family haunted by tragedy."--The Washington Post

"A remarkable exploration of family bonds, grief, heartbreak, friendship, and the deep scars of slavery and racism, Good Dirt seamlessly links the tragedies and resilience of our past in a way that is both brilliantly resonant and heartbreakingly beautiful. Wilkerson's prose is succinct yet richly evocative, masterfully delving into the minds and motivations of her characters and delivering a narrative that lingers long after the final page . . . This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time."--​Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice

"Charmaine Wilkerson is a writer of extraordinary gifts. She can capture the arc of a family story like none other. In Good Dirt, she does it again. This kaleidoscopic novel of love, loss, and triumph will sit with you for a long time after you finish the last page."--Dolen Perkins-Valdez, bestselling author of Take My Hand

"Good Dirt is a mystery that weaves together multigenerational strands of past and present trauma, from West Africa to Long Island, from the 1800s to the present. Written in glittering and discerning prose, poignant yet hopeful, Good Dirt is a masterful character study exploring the stories we inherit and how the past informs the present. I loved it."--Nikki May, author of Wahala and This Motherless Land

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Pub date: 2026-01-27

Length: 384 pages