
PBS Books Readers Club is delighted to welcome critically acclaimed author Charmaine Wilkerson to discuss her captivating new novel Good Dirt and her bestselling debut, Black Cake. The episode premieres on February 26 at 8PM ET as a PBS Books Facebook Live event, on the PBS Books YouTube channel, pbsbooks.org, and the PBS app.
Good Dirt tells the story of Ebby Freeman, a woman who unravels the connections between a childhood tragedy, a treasured family heirloom, and her ancestors’ enduring legacy. Through multiple generations, Wilkerson masterfully explores themes of family, identity, and how the past shapes the future. Good Dirt is a poignant and complex narrative that highlights the emotional and historical ties that define us.
We’ll also delve into her debut novel, Black Cake, which captivated readers with its compelling tale of family secrets, the search for identity, and a mysterious inheritance.
Both Good Dirt and Black Cake display Wilkerson’s rich, layered storytelling and unique ability to craft vivid characters and intricate plots, blending both historical and contemporary issues with the timeless exploration of identity and belonging.
Our PBS watch alike this month is Great Migrations: A People on the Move, the latest docuseries from Henry Louis Gates Jr., which premieres on January 28, 2025. Preview it now on the PBS App.
About the Author

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., We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.