Roots, Redemption, and the Cost of Progress
4 out of 5 stars
This one hit me hard. Ordinary Soil isn’t just a story about a farmer and his land; it’s about the quiet ghosts that live in our family histories and the choices we inherit without even realizing it.
Alex Woodard has this uncanny ability to make the human condition leap right off the page (or in this case, out of your headphones). The first few chapters take a little focus as you sort through the generations and their tangled ties, but once the threads start weaving together, it’s pure storytelling magic.
What I loved most is how real it all feels. These characters stumble, grieve, and try their best to heal in a world that doesn’t always make that easy. Ordinary Soil touches on addiction, love, and the creeping influence of technology, and somehow makes it all feel personal. It could have veered too far into lecture territory when exploring agriculture and our dependence on chemical and mechanical “fixes,” but Woodard keeps it grounded in emotion and humanity (and I really appreciated that balance).
And let’s talk about the narrators: Scott Brick and George Newbern deliver the perfect dual performance. Brick’s gravitas anchors the story, while Newbern’s delivery adds just the right tension and vulnerability. They make the atmosphere dense with unease but never overwhelming. (Also, yes, the Audible version had a hiccup with missing audio when it first released, but it’s fixed now! It’s worth the listen, trust me.)
If you like thought-provoking fiction with emotional weight and a touch of realism that borders on uncomfortable truth, this one belongs on your list.
Book Description:
IPPY Gold Medalist, 2024
“Ordinary Soil brings to haunting life the desperate realities of the American heartland but also offers a glimpse into a better future… a call to action for all of us.”—WOODY HARRELSON
Haunted by a shadow from the past, a young farmer attempts suicide beneath a rotting burial elm, unearthing a dark ancestral history. But deep beneath the diseased generational roots lies a powerful secret—one that could save both the man and the land.
Ordinary Soil by Alex WoodardNarrator: Scott Brick, George Newbern
Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
Published by Self Published Genres: Horror
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