Good Dirt

Soh, as Ebby’s mother, is a secondary character in her own right and in some ways a foil to Ebby. Soh is described as the “[d]aughter of one of New England’s oldest and wealthiest African American families. Top honors at both universities. Attorney and mother. Lifelong volunteer. Champion fundraiser. Still the only Black woman in her neighborhood, after all these years, with all that this unfortunate statistic has entailed” (88). Though a minority in her neighborhood, Soh grew up with the relative safety of knowing that her parents were trailblazers. Soh’s mother, Gwendolyn, was studying history in New York before she decided to go to law school. Her father, Lemuel Bliss, was a widower who was 15 years older than Gwendolyn when they married. In 1960, when Gwendolyn went into labor at the same time as the sit-in began at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, Gwendolyn decided to name her daughter after Isabella Baumfree, also known as Sojourner Truth.

Soh went on to obtain her law degree and become a practicing attorney, and she married Ed Freeman, whom she had loved since girlhood. Soh was not only attached to Ed, but she also felt an affection for his family’s heirloom, the stone jar that Soh nicknamed “Old Mo.” Soh trusted Ed and agreed when he wanted to move from Massachusetts to Connecticut, even though they continued to be the only African American family in their neighborhood. Soh became good friends with Adelaide Pitts, their next-door neighbor.

After the loss of her son, Baz, Soh stepped back from her job so she could spend more time at home with Ebby. In the novel’s present-day timeline, Soh has become keenly protective of Ebby and worries often about her daughter’s safety and well-being. While she finds it difficult to let Ebby go to France, Soh endures another emotional blow when Ed temporarily leaves the house to stay with his parents. The physical repair of Old Mo therefore represents emotional repair for Soh as well. She knows that, years ago, she would not have been able to look at the jar. Now, with some distance, she can appreciate that it has been saved and remember how much Baz loved Old Mo. She too finds a measure of inward peace.

Avery is a secondary character who serves as a foil to Ebby. A young white woman, Avery has pale-gold hair extensions and polished nails. Ebby thinks that Avery “looks so settled in herself. As if she knows where she belongs wherever she goes and can have whatever she wants” (39). Ebby thinks of Avery as the kind of person who has never been traumatized by a great loss and so can handle events like breaking up with Henry. Ebby thinks, “Avery might be upset, but she will not be out of control. Avery does not come across as the kind of person who does out of control. Avery will be all right” (222).

While she planned ways to gain Henry’s notice after he broke up with Ebby and planned the trip to France to help deepen their relationship, Avery uses what happens on the trip as a prompt to get more in tune with what she wants. She’s done what her parents expected of her, attended the Ivy League schools, and followed the partner track at her law firm while cultivating an impeccable image. However, Avery longs for a different life and keeps imagining herself in different scenarios by looking at real estate properties in her spare time. In a different environment, she can contemplate different versions of herself.

After leaving Henry, Avery decides to do something for herself and stays in France on her own. She decides she will start looking into psychology classes and pursue a field of study that truly interests her. She’s ready to break free of the expectations and definitions of others and become her own person, mirroring the character arc that Ebby undergoes as well.

Henry, as the man who jilted Ebby on the morning of their wedding, sometimes serves as an antagonist in the novel. However, he is not always intentionally cruel; instead, he is also trying to discover what he truly wants in life, as are many other characters. Henry is a wealthy and privileged white man, “the handsome and promising son of a powerful banker father and philanthropist mother” (44). He is attractive, with walnut-colored hair and gray eyes. Henry also has a corporate career, but his passion is for photography.

As a man who has easily obtained his desires for most of his life, Henry dislikes confrontation and therefore doesn’t know how to talk to Ebby about his increasing discomfort with their relationship and the feeling that she is difficult to approach. When he overhears his father’s friend, Harris, remark about the damage done to the family jar, Henry is too concerned about upsetting his father’s friend to confront him with questions. This avoidance results in his leaving town the morning of his wedding and hurting Ebby’s feelings. Later, Henry insists that Ebby gives him a chance to apologize, and when he sees her again, he realizes that he still cares for her. He cries when he learns of Ebby’s pregnancy loss, though it is not clear whether he is crying for Ebby or for his lost child. Henry matures throughout the novel as he faces Harris, then Ebby’s family, and apologizes for what he did. He also agrees to make amends by taking pictures of Old Mo for publicity purposes. Like Avery, Henry decides to pursue his passion for photography, thereby making an effort to live a more authentic life.