We’re reading Good People by Patmeena Sabit

About the Book:

In the wake of an unthinkable tragedy, an immigrant family with a bright future is left reeling as their idea of the American dream is crushed. Riveting, timely and thought-provoking, Good People is a story of community, family and resilience.

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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. 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?

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.

“[A] gorgeous and powerful debut.”—Tommy Orange, The New York Times

“Good People is the year’s first great novel.”—The Minnesota Star Tribune

“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

ONE THE NEW YORKER’S BEST BOOKS OF 2026 SO FAR