Charmaine Wilkerson Unearths a Family’s Tragedy and Resilience inGood Dirt(Exclusive)
Mar. 15, 2025Charmaine Wilkerson and the cover of ‘Good Dirt’.Photo:Sian Trenberth; Ballantine Books
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Sian Trenberth; Ballantine Books
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Ballantine Books
Charmaine Wilkerson.Sian Trenberth
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Sian Trenberth
“[Characters in the book] may think they have all the dirt on her, but they don’t really know the half of who she is,” Wilkerson says. “And that’s true of anyone. We have an image of people, so our identities are made up of who we feel ourselves to be and what is imposed upon us.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.It’s a thread Wilkerson weaved intoBlack Cake, about two adult siblings who uncover their mother’s past in the Caribbean when she leaves them a voice recording, as well as a family cake recipe, after her death.
“I love the idea of everyday things that become priceless to us,” Wilkerson says. “They mark our identities, they carry stories.”
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source: people.com
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