Good People: A Novel
“Good People is the year’s first great novel.”—The Minnesota Star Tribune
“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. 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.
“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. 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.
BUY THE BOOK
Join a book club that is reading Good People: A Novel!
Community Reviews
Have you ever logged into threads, TikTok or ig and saw hundreds of posts about one topic?  the internet is set ablaze, You keep scrolling, dying to know … wtf happened?!Â
Well, Good People bring that same potency. I'd describe it as a "documentary style" novel. We are told the story from multiple sources, but not many facts. We get their different views that are shrewd in their personal biases, cultural differences, and limited knowledge.  I was intrigued from the beginning wanting to know the what happened, who did it happen to, who did it… what is going on?!Â
I liked the concept and it's pretty similar to how news is conveyed these days - stories go viral before the true facts really come out. It was also good to see how nature vs nurture reflects our views of different situations. What I - as a Black American woman may view as tragic, may be completely normal in another background.
Although original and clever, it didn't work for capturing my attention. We go nearly the first 1/2 of the book with so much feedback from others about a family, without actually knowing the crime that was committed. I was lost in the sauce!
I skipped through several chapters to get on with things, but by that time, even though it was pretty interesting, I had lost interest and had no connection to the characters. I'm not a fan of solely learning about the MCs and an ordeal through the lens of spectators and many different sources. In the end, I was still left with many questions.Â
There's a full cast narration with some of my favorites which did an excellent job with their sections.Â
I would still recommend this book because of the interesting perspectives and it's thought provoking. It would also be a really great book club selection with lots of topics to breakdown. My only issue was the way the story was executed didn't keep me engaged, however I think it will be well received by most others!
Thanks @prhaudio for my gifted copy!
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.