A quiet, powerful story about grief, healing, and the deep connection between land and identity. Woodard’s writing is lyrical and heartfelt, with characters that feel honest and lived-in. Thoughtful, emotional, and beautifully rooted in place.

A beautiful allegory on the importance of regenerative agriculture/permaculture and Indigenous methods that aren’t damaging to our soil. As someone taking a permaculture diploma stories like this are so important, and it was a pleasure to listen to.

A young farmer is troubled and keeps seeing an ancestor who needs him to see the error of their ways. Land has been over-farmed, over fed and over weeded but is there any health left in it?

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Enjoyed the characters in this novel that’s shows how over time we have moved away from good land management to the desperate need to produce more, no matter the cost. A lesson here for us all to learn.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Ordinary Soil by Alex Woodard, narrated by Scott Brick and George Newbern

Alex Woodard’s Ordinary Soil is a lyrical excavation of trauma, legacy, and the redemptive power of land. Set in the American heartland, the novel follows Jake, a young farmer haunted by addiction, grief, and a suicide attempt beneath a rotting burial elm. What he unearths—both literally and metaphorically—is a buried ancestral history that pulses with pain, resilience, and a quiet, aching hope.

This is not a story that rushes. It unfolds like a field in winter—still on the surface, but teeming with unseen life beneath. Woodard weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives, including a Choctaw boy resisting cultural erasure, a grieving mother, and a mysterious figure who may be more spirit than man. The result is a narrative that feels both intimate and mythic, grounded in soil yet reaching toward something sacred.

Scott Brick and George Newbern split narration duties with grace and gravitas. Brick brings a weathered solemnity to the prose, his voice echoing the weight of generational wounds. Newbern, in contrast, offers a gentler cadence, lending warmth and clarity to the novel’s more introspective passages. Together, they create a sonic landscape as rich and layered as the story itself.

What makes Ordinary Soil extraordinary is its refusal to separate the personal from the ecological. Addiction, abuse, and abandonment are not just human afflictions—they’re mirrored in the land, in the poisoned fields and forgotten roots. And yet, Woodard doesn’t leave us in despair. There’s a secret buried in that soil, one that suggests healing is possible—not just for Jake, but for all of us.

For listeners who crave literary fiction with spiritual depth and environmental resonance, Ordinary Soil is a haunting, hopeful journey. It reminds us that sometimes, to move forward, we must first dig deep.

This beautiful audiobook carried me from the Oklahoma Panhandle into the depths of intergenerational pain, land abuse, and hope. The narration was perfect.
If you appreciate character-driven literary fiction with Indigenous roots, ecological urgency, and emotional depth, this audiobook is a stirring, deep experience—painful, necessary, and hopeful.

I always know it's a good audiobook when it comes to the end and I immediately think: I want to read the book now!

Story:
The story of Ordinary Soil is multilayered.
There's human interaction and connection, histories,trial and tribulations.
It portrays hard work and the life of farming through the generations, focusing on societies growing demands that put strain on an already strained industry. The soil is dying.

Not only is the story thought provoking but there's also a ghost story that runs through it too. An entity that is trying to warn of mistakes made and the need to rethink "progress".

Narration and Production
I absolutely loved the narration - my attention was captivated and I thought that the added songs /musical details was a wonderful addition to the characters thoughts and feelings.
At the end of the main story there were some very thoughtful reflections discussed and I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect to the audiobook.

I'm very grateful to the author, narrators, publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity listen and review Ordinary Soil. It was an absolute pleasure.

Ordinary Soil was a haunting narrative about the position farmers have brought modern agriculture into. Highlighting a hypothetical (maybe not so hypothetical) situation, Alex Woodard presents a story about a rural town suffering from overuse of chemicals in farming. An underlying storyline touches on generational curses and gives the chemical fallout a bit more spookiness. Following a doctor, a farmer, and a cast of other people that can be found in any farming community, Woodard gives us an insidious tale with plenty of real heartfelt emotion and fear.

We cannot be reminded enough that what we put in and on our bodies affects our health. This haunting tale, described as "faction" in the afterword, is a work of fiction based on factual historical, medical, and agricultural data.

Jake's land isn't yielding crops like it used to. His mental and physical health have taken a hit, and his marriage is falling apart because of his opioid addiction. Mark, his close friend and doctor, notices that nearly everyone in his town seems to be suffering from some kind of medical illness - except for Jake's wife, Jess. She feeds herself from her private garden. In Mark's research, he is beginning to make the connections between his town's health and what they are eating. And when Jake begins to frequently see a Native American spirit on his property, he remembers this same spirit trying to communicate with him as a child. Is Jake's land cursed?

I have not read anything like this. It was haunting, yet prompted me to put my own health in check. I've known for years that the biggest threat to our health has been the food we eat. It's nearly impossible in our fast-paced world to eat unprocessed, chemical-free food. It requires a change in lifestyle. I felt very seen reading this. It's easy for us to roll our eyes and just say, "Well, we are all gonna die sometime. Might as well eat, drink, and be merry." I want to have quality of life and be effective in my vocation for as long as I'm here. I applaud this work!

Scott Brick and George Newbern drew me in right away with their narrations. At times, the acting got a little over-the-top, but not enough to keep me from enjoying the story. I think part of it had to do with the dramatic writing. Scott and George were phenominal in characterization and keeping the listener engaged. Fantastic!

Thank you NetGalley, Alex Woodard, and Greenleaf Audiobooks for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ordinary Soil by Alex Woodward, read by Scott Brick and George Newbern is an interesting audio book. A young farmer keeps seeing an ancestor in the fields, but doesn't investigate the cause. The cause is over-farmed land which is no longer healthy. It's well written and the narrators are both excellent. I enjoyed the characters in this novel as well as the lesson that we need to be better stewards of our land.
Thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Audiobooks for my review copy.

Ordinary Soil is the kind of book that lingers because it makes you sit with uncomfortable truths. Alex Woodard shows how personal and environmental traumas intertwine, stretching back through generations. The novel moves between past and present, weaving ancestral voices with modern struggles in a way that feels both haunting and necessary. The soil in this book more than dirt; it’s memories.

3.5 stars rounded.

Ordinary Soil by Alex Woodard, narrated by Scott Brick and George Newbern.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The audiobook boasts well developed characters, meticulous research by the author and some thought provoking themes.
Tackling sensitive environmental issues and the impacts of chemical use in farming.
The narrative beautifully weaves in Native American perspectives, adding depth to the story.
The narration is well done, complemented by tasteful music that enhances the listening experience. Overall, this audiobook is a compelling and impactful listen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen and review this book.