Good Dirt

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Which character did you find to be the most convincing or relatable? What do you like about them?

2. What did you think of the family’s relationship to Old Mo? Does your family have a similar heirloom or set of stories that you like to share with the world? To what extent do these stories define your family as a whole?

3. Ebby feels defined by the traumatic experiences that have happened to her. Do you know people, or families, who have been similarly defined by a traumatic experience and find it hard to be identified in any other way? How did they cope with this issue?

4. Why is Old Mo so popular as a gallery exhibit? Have there been museum objects or exhibits that have deeply moved you? What lessons did you learn from these artifacts?

5. While Wilkerson eventually reveals to the reader who was responsible for Baz’s death, the Freemans never really get that closure. What statement does this aspect of the novel make about the broader impact of violence?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What do you think of the book’s claim that African American history cannot be separated from American history as a whole? What is another persuasive example of this idea?

2. All the Freemans, in different ways, confront the myth of African American exceptionalism: the perception that it is rare or strange for an African American to be educated, intelligent, successful, prosperous, and admired. How does the novel as a whole critique the harmful ideas underlying this myth?

3. Examine the chapters describing the experiences of enslavement and freedom for Kandia, Moses, Betsey, and Willis. What do these storylines suggest about Wilkerson’s construction of the Freeman family history? Is this a version of history that most Americans are aware of? Why or why not?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss the effect of Wilkerson’s decision to interweave earlier timelines with the present-day narrative. Did these storylines complement each other in conflict or theme? Why or why not?

2. Examine Ebby’s character arc. What does she learn or achieve during the course of the novel? What other characters echo or elaborate upon her version of inner development?

3. Explain the significance of France as the place where three of the characters confront each other. Why does Wilkerson chose this setting as a source of personal transformation for so many of the characters?

4. How does Old Mo simultaneously function as a plot device, a symbol, and a recurring motif?

5. The appearance of ships, whales, and whaling are brief but remain vital important to the story’s broader message. What symbolic value do these images convey?