Good People

by Patmeena Sabit

Zorah Sharaf could do no wrong. Zorah Sharaf brought shame upon her family. What’s the truth? Depends on who you ask.

The Sharaf family is the picture of success. Successful, rich, happy. They came to this country as refugees with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And now, after years of hard work, they live in the most exclusive neighborhood, their growing family attending the most prestigious schools. Zorah, the eldest daughter, is the apple of her father’s eye.

When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, everyone is left reeling and the family is thrust into the court of public opinion. There is talk that behind closed doors the Sharafs’ happy household was anything but. Did the Sharaf family achieve the American dream? Or was the image of the model immigrant family just a façade?

Like a literary game of ping-pong, Good People compels the reader to reconsider what might have happened even on the previous page. Told through a kaleidoscope of perspectives, it is a riveting, provocative, and haunting story of family—sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and the communities that claim us as family in difficult times.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Family, Audiobook, Book Club

383 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2026

About the author

Patmeena Sabit was born in Kabul a few years after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. When she was a month old, her family fled the conflict and became refugees in Pakistan, joining the millions of other Afghans that had sought refuge there. They later moved to the United States and she grew up in Virginia. She currently lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping read to start 2026

Potential spoiler - relating to key premise of the book .. but no extra details given ..

Patmeena Sabit has produced a debut novel that will/ should open up much conversation.

This is a story about family, love , cultural expectations and differences and ultimately tragedy.

The Sharaf family escaped the horror of war in Afghanistan and have been resettled in North Virginia USA. They live in a one room apartment but Rahmat Sharaf pursues the American Dream and after a decade becomes a successful and wealthy businessman. His wife and four children are able to live a charmed life ; he has aspirations of success for his children especially for his daughter Zorah. The world around sees a family filled with happiness but is all that it seems?

The demands and pressure lead Zorah into unexpected directions and to her death. The family are devastated but then questions are asked… is what appeared to be an accident actually the truth?

The story of the Sharaf family is told through the voices of friends, neighbours, the police and many others- each giving their viewpoint. In a world polarised by the quick judgement of many on social media, TV and through gossip and cultural ignorance, this book raise so many questions. It also challenges us to look at the traditions, hypocrisies and contradictions within societies and cultures.

Patmeena Sabit has shone an important light on issues of migrant families living in a different culture; the ignorance and misunderstanding between different mindsets and the global epidemic of allowing jury by social media.

The narrative device of different voices works incredibly well and manipulates in many ways as your thoughts are ever changing and you are second guessing what happened.

It’s easy to see why this debut novel is being publicised as a book club read for 2026 - a book that will leave you questioning how your own thoughts and perceptions can be influenced by external voices ( especially in a divided world) but ultimately a novel that should also make us all reflect upon the dangers of using hearsay in any situation.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Good people is riveting!
A murder mystery involving a member of an immigrant, Afghan family residing in Virginia…
the family has went from rags to riches in the years they have been here.
The story is told in interview style, by friends and acquaintances, reporters, and lawyers ..where we get the background and personalities of the family members.
It’s like a documentary.
The big question… was this an honor killing by the family itself, or an accident?
I will not forget this story!

Would be a perfect book club read for discussions!




Good People is a STUNNING READ.
I could not recommend it more enthusiastically.
-KHALED HOSSEINI


Good People is a THRILLING tour de force of a novel. I'll be recommending this book to EVERYONE.
-ANN PATCHETT

[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thought-provoking look at immigration, prejudice, assimilation, and hate, Good People was beyond original in both its format and story. Told exclusively through interviews and statements after a death from the perspective of those who knew the Sharafs, it gave me a round-robin view of the circumstances while also making me second guess what happened the entire time I was reading. Alongside of the how it reinforced the unreliability of hearsay testimony and witness statements, it also clearly demonstrated how one’s perceptions can be influenced—and sway others—in this increasingly divided world. That alone made this into one heck of an impactful book due to the topic matter alone. Add in the mere idea of a ripped-from-the-headlines murder mystery, and it had all of the hallmarks of a riveting five-star home run.

That, unfortunately, was where this one went just a bit off the rails. Repetitive, somewhat ambiguous, and slow-burning in the beginning, the well-intentioned format made it quite hard to read. Did it get easier with time? Well…yes. But it shouldn’t have felt like such a slog for the first half of the novel. Narrated by a huge cacophony of voices, while inspired, it also dragged the book down to start off with. That being said, once I reached the discussion of the family tragedy halfway into the book, it was a race to the end to find out all of the answers. Scandal-filled, true-to-life, and oozing with family drama, the last third was truly impressive. So if you’re looking for the perfect book club selection or want to dive into the heart of a true-crime story, this one’s for you. Just be prepared to have to adjust to an entirely different kind of read. Rating of 3.5 stars.

SYNOPSIS:

The Sharaf family is the picture of success. Prosperous, rich, happy. They came to this country as refugees with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And now, after years of hard work, they live in the most exclusive neighborhood, their growing family attending the most prestigious schools. Zorah, the eldest daughter, is the apple of her father’s eye.

When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, everyone is left reeling and the family is thrust into the court of public opinion. There is talk that behind closed doors the Sharafs’ happy household was anything but. Did the Sharaf family achieve the American dream? Or was the image of the model immigrant family just a façade?

Thank you Patmeena Sabit and Crown Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: February 3, 2026

Content warning: death, Islamophobia, sexism, suicide attempt, bigotry, mention of: war

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Possible spoilers below **

The thing that is most striking about this book is Sabit's compassion and empathy - the second is the way she gives individual voices to her characters who speak directly to us in a series of interviews and other statements after a death. It's rare in contemporary fiction for authors to show the craft of differentiating voices and showing character through voice so I would be applauding this even if it weren't for the confident way this negotiates the story of an Afghani family who came to the US with nothing while their home country was under Russian occupation.

I can see why this book is positioned as a 'book group debate' book but to be honest I found that a little cheap. There is a slight ambiguity on the death of Zorah but the firm statements by the lawyer kind of do away with that argument - unless the reader wants to align themselves with the far-right Islamophobes who use the death as a legitimisation of their hate.

So I'm not quite sure about that marketing strategy but this is an excellent book that looks at pressing issues of how far a patriarchy culture is prepared to go, of intergenerational change and the position of so many 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants who are possibly more aligned with the values of their resident country but may not want to lose all contact with their ancestral culture. In some ways this is an extreme coming of age story but one where the stakes are very high. Sabit successfully puts us into the heart of the Sharaf family, and gives us nuanced insights into the Afghani community, the flaws and fractures as well as the support and love.

Affecting and emotive, I wept.

Many thanks to Little Brown/Virago for an ARC via Netgalley

[TracyGH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be in the top 10 books of 2026 for me. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
We meet Rahmet and Maryam Sharaf who arrive in the USA in the 1990s, from Afghanistan. Arriving on American soil with empty pockets and a dream. Over time, they have become wealthy and very successful in the US. Then tragedy, within the family suddenly occurs.
Each chapter is in interview style, with people that knew the Sharaf family. As always some interviewees say they were “good people” and others had opposing views. This novel at its core is a family murder mystery. More importantly, it highlights the Westernized view of parenting comparing it to the tyrannical Muslim style. Is one style wrong?

“The egos on these kids. The sense of self-importance. The entitlement….. and they think by yapping they are actually doing something. They think by whining and putting their pictures on the internet they are actually doing something. All this talk. All this stuff. All these reasons….. No one has had problems before them. They all have disorders to prove it. They wear them like a badge of honour. A whole generation. A whole generation that is out to lunch. I am not sorry I will not be here in the next 50 years to see how this generation turns out.”

The ending is ambiguous but that is not what matters. The reactions, the strife. The crack between the two cultures became insurmountable.
What a debut. A stunner! This would be the ultimate book club read.

[Alanna Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a five star read for me! Books that I rate 5 stars make me feel deeply and stay in my mind for an extended time. I will be over on my social channels discussing this book and all the others!

[Bharath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story with a good cultural context tackling many modern issues in an unusual format as viewpoints/experiences of a variety of people known to the key characters.

Raymat Sharaf, his wife Maryam, and two kids – son Omer and daughter Zorah have emigrated to the US from Afghanistan. After a long period of poverty and hard labour, Raymat makes a breakthrough by starting cleaning services. He later expands to other businesses – malls, imports, store franchises etc in Northern Virginia. Raymat is keen that his children obtain a good education and attend top colleges. His son drops out of college, much to his dad’s disappointment but his daughter continues her studies. A family with conservative values, the parents are upset when they learn that their daughter has a boyfriend. After that, they monitor her activities closely. On a trip back from Niagara, at a break in the town of Fulton for the night, Zorah goes missing. She is later found dead in a car they had brought with them on the trip. The initial assessment is that it was a tragic accident caused by an inexperienced driver (Zorah did not have a license) in poor weather. However, questions surface after many weeks.

The format of the book is novel and unusual with people known to them providing their views of the family and what they think might have happened. There are a wide set of people – many family & friends, teachers/professors, business associates and others. I liked how the story uncovers a number of contemporary & complex issues including – immigration, assimilation, prejudice, hate, jealousy and others. The cultural context is very good – neither under nor over- stated. I found the build-up to be quite slow and inconsistent. While I would say my patience was rewarded with well-written later sections, the tension could have been held better in the story. The ending has a touch of charm and yet I would have liked a few more revealing threads.

My rating: 3.5 / 5.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author for a free electronic review copy.

[Bruce Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still recovering from surgery so I'm going to punt by directing people to Bonnie Brody's very insightful review here on GR.

Let me add this. The book (apparently inspired by a real event) focuses on an Afghani family who moved to the United States to escape war. In many respects they are emblematic of the American Dream. The father, an unexceptional man back in Afghanistan, works tirelessly to achieve financial success: big house, expensive cars, extravagant gifts for their perfect kids, big dreams of Harvard and a seat on the Supreme Court for their brilliant and beautiful daughter. The local Afghani community holds them in the highest regard. In fact everyone does. It's a nearly perfect life that revolves around largely domestic issues, traditional vs modernity and secularism, and having teenaged kids.

And then something happens to disrupt it all.

I won't try to summarize any of it or say what that "something" is. Rather, I'll draw attention to what the author (this is a first novel!) is looking at: the uncertainties of the immigrant experience in America, the difficult translation of religion and culture from one world to another, the distinctive role of community among Afghani expats, family dynamics, patriarchy, class (oh yes, big time, though with a very distinctive edge here), stereotypes, and how quickly judgments are made (and changed) about others -- and often on such flimsy ground. There are many voices in the book -- if the word "polyphonic" didn't already exist someone would have invented it for "Good People" -- neighbors, journalists, lawyers, family members, movement advocates. I confess I occasionally lost track of who was who. But I found that it didn't matter. The words themselves were enough. In fact the words were everything.

The first part of the book, in which we meet the family and their circle of family and friends, brilliantly sets the stage, even as we wait to see if something will happen. The second half, when something does happen, brings all of this stage-setting to vivid, complex life. Peoples' reaction to the Event run the gamut from support, condemnation, defense, outsiders vs insiders, journalists, the people who follow it online and turn it into a Casuse, high school friends. Sabit puts it all before us, and it falls on us to decide who and what we believe, which voices we're quick to dismiss and which we credit, and why. She even leaves it for us to believe about what truly happened. The mystery, important and engaging though it is, is secondary to a bigger question because, you see, whatever may or may not have happened, these are all Good People, everyone of them. Just as we are, at least in our own minds.

Some very smart and astute people have noted in their GR reviews that they don't see "Good People" as the perfect reading group book the publisher makes it out to be. I disagree. I think it would lead to a hell of a discussion.

My thanks to the publisher for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What. A. Debut. Easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

I’ve never read a book like this! The story is stitched together by a cacophony of people close to the family, eyewitness accounts, and newspaper pieces surrounding a family tragedy that you aren’t privy to until halfway through the book.

Everybody has an opinion, and you’ll find yourself yanked back and forth, your own thoughts changing and morphing based on information you have. The sensationalism of the whole thing is so representative of the bits and pieces we’re fed in real crime stories.

I think anyone who loves family drama, multiple POV, and crime narratives will be hooked immediately. The cultural themes of immigration, integration, and many others make the story that much more important in today’s climate.

I’ll be watching closely for her next novel! Patmeena Sabit is such a beautiful and intriguing new voice in the book world! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 5 stars

This was such an interesting book. The format seemed a little disjointed at first, until you realize it's being written like a documentary and it's a story told through multiple POVs. It shows how families can look perfect on the outside, but that everyone can be hiding something. I also felt like I learned about Afghan culture.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.

[Stoic Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨This book began exceptionally well; there was an unsettling feeling that something was amiss, that a significant revelation was imminent, and that someone had been harmed.

However, halfway through, I found the narrative to be dragging, and I felt that the book could have been shorter.

It’s a literary mystery, narrated through secondary characters, but there are so many of them that I struggle to keep track of them.

While it’s very readable, it’s also quite verbose and filled with unnecessary words.

It was a good start, but it didn’t live up to the hype. ✨💪

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this story, in part because the backstory took a long time to get through. Once Zorah had died, it became very engrossing. None of the protagonists actually gave their side of the story so we readers will never know the truth. Normally, I would have hated an unresolved ending but this time I understand why it was written this way, though I shall be mulling over my own thoughts of what really happened for quite a while to come. An impressive debut.
her brother and father were seen looking at the canal the month before. Her brother drove an extra vehicle on the holiday, a really old one, totally different to what he usually bought and it was in this that she died. A boy saw two sets of headlights, heard a bang, then just one set leaving. It was during a heavy rainstorm and the car had its window open. Why? Yet her mother went mad afterwards etc.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fully drawn into this excellent novel about an Afghan family who has immigrated into the US. From the beginning of the novel the reader is aware that a tragedy of some kind has befallen the family, and particularly the daughter, Zorah. The novel is written in the form of a series of interviews or a documentary, in which a number of people, from family friends to news reporters relate the story. In a unique and wonderful way, this format provides the reader with many different perspectives of the events – but never the perspective of the main characters themselves. As a result, the reader is constantly wondering and questioning about exactly what happened.
Although they came to the US with nothing, the family has been extremely successful financially. They are known to be loving, caring and upstanding. The family is Muslim, and they practice many aspects of the Muslim culture/religion. They also are in very close contact with the Afghan community where they live (northern Virginia). The main character is the teenage daughter, Zorah, who struggles between the traditional rules of her family’s culture (as well as her love for her family) and the fact that she is an American teenager. Tragedy strikes - - and that’s all I’m going to say about the plot, except that I was quickly, totally addicted!
Although fast paced and entertaining, this novel raised a number of important questions. What is the effect of a successful move to the US on a family who has lived in the Muslim (or other) culture for centuries? Should a teenage girl (born in the US) in such a family be obligated to keep aspects of her family’s culture? Should the family be permitted to dictate marriage? Should words of a father spoken in anger and haste be the grounds for a denunciation? When tragedy strikes a Muslim family should the US public assume that the tragedy is the terrible result of the family’s Muslim religion/culture? These and many other questions were beautifully raised by the author.
This was probably the best audio I have ever listened to, and I highly recommend the audio for this book. There are more than 20 voices and they added very much to the spirit of the novel.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨REVIEW: Good People by Patmeena Sabit✨

🎧4.5⭐️


🤔You should know…
This story includes many perspectives on a family from many different people. I didn’t count, but I’m guessing there were 50 people who shared their experiences. The main thing to be aware of is that it’s NOT necessary to remember the names of everyone who shares. Just focus on what they say about the family.

❤️This was a fascinating look at a refugee couple (and their American-born children) on so many levels: their struggles within and outside of their Afghan community, their transition from near-poverty to wealth, and the parenting difficulties they faced in raising “westernized children” within their culture.

The reader also has to confront personal biases when a tragedy occurs within the family. Overall, I found this story very thought-provoking!

🥰If you enjoyed Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter, this might be for you!

🤷‍♀️Why not five stars?
Know going into this that you have to be okay with not getting all the answers in an ending. Part of me wanted a more conclusive explanation.

⚠️Profanity: 2/5 (infrequent and mild- I don’t remember any f-words)
Sexual: 1/5 (none, but includes some derogatory sexual terms, like “slut.”)

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a real struggle. I enjoyed the “Court of Public Opinion” style telling of the story, with many different people giving their opinion and experience of the Sharafs, an Afghan family living in America.

But by the time that 50% of the book had passed, nothing had happened! So many different narrators, I couldn’t possibly keep track: family friends, relatives, school teachers, neighbours, school friends, business associates, religious figures, and so on, but no real story, to speak of. At 52% I was going to DNF, but somehow I pushed on.

Later in the book there was a small element of mystery which only really highlighted the toxic nature of organised religions; whether there was a crime committed or not, everything came back to people’s belief that the must abide by what they are told to do by a mythical being.

I am very much an outlier as this book has many 4/5 star reviews, so although it didn’t work for me, if it intrigues you, give it a go!

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

[Adrian Dooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very accomplished debut novel about a Muslim Afghan family who flee from their home country during the Russian invasion, to the US. Arriving with little or nothing, the local Afghan community gather around to help them find their feet.

As their 4 young children grow up in an American culture, the parents hold on to their Afghan one and clashes ensue as the family becomes a success story, financially independent.

When a family tragedy happens the best and the worst of both communities and cultures come to the fore as the author shines a light on the good and bad of both.

Told from a series of interviews with friends, family and acquaintances, I found the format hard to get to grips with initially but once I got used to it and saw where the book was going I found that it had a good flow to it.
A clever format to get across the point of the book imo. Shining a light on both cultures, both the good and the bad without judgement. The book is more of a cultural work of fiction than a mystery and it hits that spot well.

What I didnt enjoy so much was the lack of real connection with any of the characters which is down to the format chosen for the book. There are dozens of interviews and they are mostly short opinion pieces and you spend more time reading about peoples opinions of the family rather than being with the family themselves. I really think a story arc interspersed with the interview chapters would have served the book better overall for a more engrossing read.

Still enjoyable enough for me if a little cold in its execution.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patmeena Sabit gets some major bonus points for originality in her debut novel, GOOD PEOPLE. I must admit that I was a little put off by the format at first—a collection of interviews, witness statements, and viewpoints from friends, neighbors, and family members. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work for me—especially via audio. With each new perspective, my interest continued to grow as the suspense and intrigue kept building up—I was easily hooked in no time at all. My opinions and predictions shifted in a blink of an eye. It felt like my brain and my heart were playing an intense game of tug of war.

The novel is centered around the Sharafs, a family who came to America as refugees, and achieved the “American Dream” by working hard—a classic “rags-to-riches” type of story. The teenage daughter doesn’t follow her parent’s script of successful living and goes off the rails a little bit, just like a lot of teenagers do. She eventually brings much shame to the family, and then tragedy strikes. Judgement littered with racism, biases, and prejudices from the community soon follow after that. With this, the reader learns more about the family’s dynamic, and eventually comes to their own conclusions.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Immigration stories
- Family drama and dynamics
- Teenage behavior
- Multiple perspectives
- Full cast audiobooks
- Unique writing formats
- Shocking twists and turns
- Gossip and hearsay
- Mystery and intrigue
- Murder mysteries

This thought-provoking, timely, and insanely unique debut will have a spot on my top ten list of the year, there’s no doubt about that. 5/5 glowing stars for GOOD PEOPLE! I truly cannot recommend it enough.

[Tierney Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Patmeena Sabit’s debut, Good People, is a piercing and ingeniously structured exploration of the American Dream and the fragile facades of the "model immigrant" family. Set against the backdrop of Northern Virginia, the story centers on the Sharafs, an Afghan family that rises from refugee status to immense wealth, only to be dismantled by a tragedy involving their eldest daughter, Zorah.

*A paragraph with minor spoilers regarding narrative structure:*
The novel’s most striking feature is its multi-POV narrative. Ms. Sabit employs a “kaleidoscopic” approach, building the story entirely through interviews, police statements, and media reports. Remarkably, we never hear from the Sharaf family directly. Instead, we see them through the shifting lenses of neighbours, teachers, and community members. This stylistic choice turns the reader into a voyeur, forced to sift through gossip, cultural misunderstandings, and biased memories to find the truth. It brilliantly highlights how public opinion can act as both a judge and a jury before the facts are even clear.

The central theme explores the cultural schism between first-generation parents clinging to tradition and their Westernized children. That’s not in itself new, but it’s the choice of narrative structure that makes this feel fresh and immediate. The author masterfully illustrates the weight of “honour" and the pressure of assimilation, showing how the Sharafs’ success was often a performance for a judgmental world. At least, that’s how it seemed to me. Much of this is open to readers’ own interpretations.

While the parade of voices, many of whose names I only vaguely recalled (tho, I’ll accept arguments as to why that’s not important) can occasionally feel repetitive, and, in some passages, slightly overextended, the emotional payoff of this novel is profound. Good People is a haunting, provocative snapshot of our divided times that challenges the reader to question their own values and, perhaps, prejudices.

Thanks to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to share the events that befall the Sharaf family.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5
The first half had me highly invested. What happened? What is everyone talking about? There are many different point of views giving the reader a great overview and keeping you at the edge of your seat. About half way through, when we get to know the crux of the story, I was torn between being exited and wanting to learn more and being a bit bored by the gossip and repetition. Nevertheless, ‘Good People’ is a vey interesting, impactful and originally structured book about truth, immigration and polarisation.
Thank you to Virago for an ARC via Netgalley.

[Lauren W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Highly recommend the audio-version!

[Theresa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not stop reading this book. The entire story unfolds as a collection of statements narrated by various people who can in some way offer a perspective on the death of Zorah Sharaf. Be it family friends, her friends, witnesses in the investigation of her death, staff from her school, her family's lawyer - anyone and everyone but never do we hear directly from the family themselves. Everything is recounted second hand. And it works so well as a narrative device.

This is a debut novel, but it's incredibly clever in the way the story unfolds. We hear from the same people over and over throughout, but as the novel progresses, and they offer more information, the perspectives constantly shift, giving the reader another train of thought to run with. This novel is such an excellent portrayal of being tried by the court of public opinion, something that has become all too commonplace with what our society has evolved into.

"The unfortunate truth is that in the case of the Sharafs, they became lightning rods of public hatred not only for being rich, but for having the audacity to be rich while also brown."

4.5 ⭐️

Thanks to @hachetteaus for the early review copy. Expected publication February 2026.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can hardly believe this one is a debut. It is an interesting writing style, hearing viewpoints from tangential people and none of the main characters have a POV. I really appreciated this and found it to be intriguing and fits really well with the plot. It is about an Afghani muslim family, their work ethic and ability to become moderately wealthy while holding to tradition.

The pacing is slow at first, but I urge you to follow along and trust the author. Most of the action and plot happens in the last third of the book, but if we didn't go along this path it wouldn't be such an impactful story. I think it is best to go in as blind as possible without spoilers, but as the blurb says, there is a tragic event and the ambiguity is a deliberate literary choice that will likely make this one of the top "book club" choices of 2026- there is a lot to discuss.

How we judge our neighbors
How we protect our children

I give this one a thumbs up

Main character in 3 words- (Zorah) - immature, self-centered, passionate. In many ways a very typical teenager.

Highly recommend! Full cast on audio which is also special.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to take in that ‘Good People’ is Patmeena Sabit’s first novel, so accomplished is every aspect of this narrative and so brave is its concept. Told through a myriad of voices – those close to the Sharaf family and those on the periphery, friends and enemies, neighbours and professionals – this is a story of the American Dream come good and then gone horribly bad.

To bill this as a murder mystery is to describe just a fraction of the ideas and issues that Sabit explores in her story of the Afghan community living in Northern Virginia. The importance of retaining one’s culture whilst being American comes across loud and clear – but to what extent and for how many generations? And what happens when the land of the free doesn’t appear to accept your beliefs and customs?

The death of Zorah, beloved daughter, transmutes from a heartbreaking accident to a callous murder depending on whose point of view is being presented. The author has clearly structured the narrative so that many of the voices sound utterly rational. It’s easy to understand assumptions being made and proclamations misunderstood. As the Sharafs’ lawyer states: ‘…they became lightning rods of public hatred not only for being rich, but for having the audacity to be rich whilst also brown.’ Just as the reader begins to believe that this is clearly a case of racism, fanned by mob rule and online hate, another voice is introduced which suggests, with compelling evidence, that there is no doubt that Zorah is a victim of filicide.

Through these alternating, often subtly different views, Sabit allows the reader to gain a better understanding of the complexities of identity and culture, social expectations and prejudice. It is almost as if the reader becomes a member of a jury intent on listening objectively and searching for the truth whilst learning that any certainty is short-lived at best. A really engrossing, thought-provoking read, and highly recommended. I hope this will be the first of many such novels from Patmeena Sabit.

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Virago for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Elsbookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking and cleverly written. This is a perfect read for the current climate. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel.

It had a very unique style and layout which took me a while to get used to but once I settled in, I enjoyed the storyline which is a mystery with cultural elements (or maybe the other way around).
This would be a great book club pick as there is a lot to unpack.

I can’t help but wondering if I would have enjoyed this novel more if it had more of a contemporary layout/story line. I believe I may have connected to the characters more, for which there were many.

[Quill (thecriticalreader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Good People tells an engrossing and thought-provoking story, but too often indulges in excess that detracts from the narrative’s effectiveness.

Good People by Patmeena Sabit resembles a true crime documentary put in literary form. It follows a single family from the perspective of those who knew or encountered them—we never get the perspective of any of the family members themselves. The book consists of recollections about the Sharaf family from their neighbors, family friends, community members, and countless others connected to the family in some way. Through these accounts, the story of the Sharaf family unfolds: they fled Afghanistan for America during the war, remaining in poverty for years as Sharaf tries, and fails, to get wealthy in the new country. Finally, Sharaf gains a toehold on success through an entrepreneurial cleaning endeavor, which he builds into a business empire. Once he achieves his dreams, he turns his ambitions onto his children. The family’s meteoric rise may be its greatest weakness as troubles with their eldest daughter, Zorah, reach a fever pitch before resulting in a tragedy with wide-reaching effects that reverberate through the family, their community, and the United States.

The conceit of the novel has a lot of advantages. The third-hand perspectives are filled with conflicting stereotypes and judgments of their community, but placed side-by-side, they paint a warped but complex portrait of the Sharaf family. Sabit manages to juggle a lot of thematic elements by inhabiting so many voices.

As creative and striking as the book’s format can be, it has its drawbacks. The various testimony of all these characters requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, especially since Sabit isn’t terribly skilled at giving each individual a distinctive voice.

Furthermore, Good People suffers from a tendency toward excess that betrays Sabit’s relative inexperience as a novelist. A lot of the perspectives echo or repeat each other to the point where each individual voice is drowned out and their effect diluted. Although Sabit speaks to real modern-day issues in Afghan-American communities and American culture, the narrative dials each element up to the max, which ironically undercuts the emotional punch these moments could have at the hands of a writer with more subtlety and skill.

Overall, however, this book is an engaging but imperfect debut that has something to say. I think it will find its audience primarily with literary fiction readers and true crime fans.

[Bonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good People by Patmeena Sabit is one of those novels that quietly unsettles you and then refuses to let go.

At the center of the story is Zorah Sharaf, beloved eldest daughter, model student, the pride of a family who clawed their way from refugee beginnings to life in an exclusive American neighborhood. But after an unthinkable tragedy, the narrative fractures. Was Zorah perfect? Was she troubled? Was the Sharaf family truly living the American dream or just performing it?

What makes this novel especially compelling is its unique structure. The story is told exclusively through statements from friends, neighbors, teachers, community members, and reporters all weighing in. There’s no traditional narration, no access to a character’s private thoughts. Instead, readers piece together the truth through interviews and commentary. The format feels almost like reading court transcripts or investigative journalism, and it creates a fascinating push-and-pull effect. Just when you think you understand what happened, a new voice reframes everything.

That structure also underscores one of the novel’s most powerful themes: how truth is shaped by perspective and also by bias. Through these layered testimonies, Sabit offers a sharp, thought-provoking exploration of immigration, assimilation, and the crushing expectations placed on “model” families. The Sharafs are praised as a success story until they aren’t. The same community that once celebrated them becomes quick to judge. Prejudice simmers just beneath polite suburban civility, and the novel captures that tension beautifully.

If I have one small critique, it’s that the format, while bold and effective, occasionally creates emotional distance. Because we never fully inhabit Zorah’s interior life, some moments feel intentionally elusive. But maybe that’s the point: we never truly know someone through secondhand accounts, no matter how confident the speaker sounds.

Overall, Good People is smart, unsettling, and deeply relevant. It’s a book that invites discussion, about immigration, family, reputation, belonging, and the dangerous ease with which communities rewrite someone’s story. I think this would make a wonderful book for a book club discussion. 4.5 stars rounded up.

[Sarah Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure about the formatting, but then as the story went on, it really served the story well with narrators gossip and perception changing how you viewed the overall events on each page.

I felt it was important for me to read and gain some sort of perspective even at times when I didn’t understand everything that was going on culturally or with some of the dialects.

For as many different points of view as there were, each interview had a really distinct and unique voice. This book had a startling look at what gossip, biases, and preconceived notions make us believe about people we don’t even know very well or even at all.

The whole book was different points of view, and you could never really know who was the absolute truth, it was just the different ways that people saw these characters and what had happened.

The entire book felt like a clash of culture, social differences, different life experiences, and the ultimate truth. A really powerful and thought-provoking read.

Who we are as a person is shaped so much by how we were raised, where we were born, and the beliefs and cultures that have been instilled in us from those around us.

But when we believe that our experience is the only expierence that’s valid and the only truth, then we can find ourselves in some very dangerous and hateful territory… That truly was the biggest takeaway from this book for me.

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

Review to come.

[꧁✿𝓒𝓪𝔃❀꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read, and I can see it being a great book for discussion, as it’s likely to spark strong opinions. I really enjoyed it.