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A tragedy reshapes the Freeman family's history, influencing their paths with the resulting perceptions, traumas, resentments, and redemptions that define their future.

Ten-year-old Ebby Freeman only wanted to play hide and seek one last time with her brother, even though they were in a hurry to leave the house. Her brother Baz never denied her request. From her hiding spot, she overheard two masked men threatening her brother, followed by a gunshot that froze time. Ebby remained still for a few moments before rushing to her father's study, where she found the family's ancient heirloom stoneware jar broken. The thieves, who sought to steal the jar, killed her brother, who bravely tried to protect it. Feeling as though they had taken everything from her family, she couldn't bring herself to tell the officers the thieves' motives and blamed herself for keeping her brother in the house during the home invasion.

Nearly two decades later, Ebby faces another tragedy when her white, privileged fiancé abandons her at the altar without explanation, thrusting her back into the spotlight for her perceived bad luck, much like when she survived the home invasion that took her father away for years.

Each family member copes with grief in their way. Her mother, Soh, becomes overly protective of Ebby, while her father grows more silent, taking more business trips and spending hours in the basement. Ebby keeps up appearances by excelling academically and honing her writing skills. After her fiancé's humiliation, she decides to escape her PTSD and night terrors by accepting an offer to watch over a friend's rental estate in France.

However, her time in France, nine months after her breakup, doesn't bring the closure she hoped for. Instead, she finds the estate rented by Henry and his new attorney girlfriend, Avery, leading to an unexpected confrontation. Ebby is forced to face her unresolved issues and listen to Henry's reasons for their breakup, all while being drawn to another man she never expected to meet. A new tragedy compels her to team up with an unlikely ally.

Ebby also connects with her ancestors' stories, learning about the nineteenth-century heirloom stoneware jar passed down for six generations. The jar's history includes Edward "Willis" Freeman, her great-great-grandfather, who escaped slavery by stowing away on a ship from South Carolina to Massachusetts. The narrative delves into the lives of Old Mo, Betsey, and Willis' wife Aquinnah, highlighting their sacrifices and the jar's role in aiding others escaping slavery.

The past and present intertwine through multiple perspectives, offering heart-wrenching yet hopeful stories that envision a brighter, more open-minded, and peaceful future.

This book beautifully explores grief, trauma, mental health, ancestry, racism, bravery, inheritance, and the importance of respecting history to shape one's present and future. I enjoyed "Good Dirt" as much as "Black Cake" and highly recommend it to fans of inspirational historical fiction and the author's previous work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for sharing this epic historical fiction's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.