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Good People

A Novel

Author Patmeena Sabit On Tour
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On sale Feb 10, 2026 | 9 Hours and 0 Minutes | 9798217175314
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB
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“Good People is a stunning read. I could not recommend it more enthusiastically. . . . What a spectacular triumph this book is. This is the Afghan novel I have been eagerly waiting for.”—Khaled Hosseini

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.
“Ingeniously structured, thought-provoking, and utterly addictive, Good People will have everyone talking.”—Paula Hawkins

“Brilliant. The best debut I’ve read in a very long time.”—Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane and Love Marriage

“Good People is a thrilling tour de force of a novel. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone.”—Ann Patchett

“Good People is equal parts an immigrant novel, a tightly wound mystery, and an oral history. Patmeena Sabit moves between these with insight, ease, and grace to give us a remarkable, unsettling snapshot of our complicated times.”—Sameer Pandya, author of Our Beautiful Boys

“Good People is a stunning read. I could not recommend it more enthusiastically. The story of an investigation into a suspicious death, this rich novel is so much more. Written with raw emotional insight, this page-turner is a fascinating, kaleidoscopic look at a grieving Afghan family caught between culture and country. With startling empathy for all sides, Patmeena Sabit plumbs the fault lines of honor, truth, prejudice, and how identity shapes guilt in the aftermath of tragedy. What a spectacular triumph this book is. This is the Afghan novel I have been eagerly waiting for.”—Khaled Hosseini

“A triumphant debut! With the sophistication and assurance of a seasoned writer, Patmeena Sabit has crafted a prescient East-West story as only a third culture talent could have. The plot: masterful. The writing: beguiling. The pacing: breakneck. The possibility I will read this again and again: absolute. I can’t wait to read what Sabit will create next!”—Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist and the Jaipur Trilogy
© David Chang Photography
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. View titles by Patmeena Sabit

Discussion Guide for Good People

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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About

“Good People is a stunning read. I could not recommend it more enthusiastically. . . . What a spectacular triumph this book is. This is the Afghan novel I have been eagerly waiting for.”—Khaled Hosseini

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.

Reviews

“Ingeniously structured, thought-provoking, and utterly addictive, Good People will have everyone talking.”—Paula Hawkins

“Brilliant. The best debut I’ve read in a very long time.”—Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane and Love Marriage

“Good People is a thrilling tour de force of a novel. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone.”—Ann Patchett

“Good People is equal parts an immigrant novel, a tightly wound mystery, and an oral history. Patmeena Sabit moves between these with insight, ease, and grace to give us a remarkable, unsettling snapshot of our complicated times.”—Sameer Pandya, author of Our Beautiful Boys

“Good People is a stunning read. I could not recommend it more enthusiastically. The story of an investigation into a suspicious death, this rich novel is so much more. Written with raw emotional insight, this page-turner is a fascinating, kaleidoscopic look at a grieving Afghan family caught between culture and country. With startling empathy for all sides, Patmeena Sabit plumbs the fault lines of honor, truth, prejudice, and how identity shapes guilt in the aftermath of tragedy. What a spectacular triumph this book is. This is the Afghan novel I have been eagerly waiting for.”—Khaled Hosseini

“A triumphant debut! With the sophistication and assurance of a seasoned writer, Patmeena Sabit has crafted a prescient East-West story as only a third culture talent could have. The plot: masterful. The writing: beguiling. The pacing: breakneck. The possibility I will read this again and again: absolute. I can’t wait to read what Sabit will create next!”—Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist and the Jaipur Trilogy

Author

© David Chang Photography
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. View titles by Patmeena Sabit

Guides

Discussion Guide for Good People

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

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