New out February 3, 2026
Good People
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Our view
“Good People” is an absorbing debut that tells a family tragedy entirely through outsiders’ eyes. When Zorah, eldest daughter of the Sharafs, Afghan refugees settled in Northern Virginia, dies in suspicious circumstances, Patmeena Sabit pieces events together from neighbours, friends, journalists and investigators. Some readers find this chorus keeps them doubting what really happened. It will appeal to anyone who likes a mystery that doubles as a portrait of a community.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Good People is a 2026 debut novel by Afghan American author Patmeena Sabit. Published by Crown in the United States and Virago in the United Kingdom, the novel centers on the Sharaf family, Afghan refugees who have achieved the American dream in Northern Virginia, and the suspicious death of their eldest daughter, Zorah. The narrative is told through voices of neighbors, friends, journalists, and investigators assembling a fractured portrait of the family and the tragedy that befalls them.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.5 across 28 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 16% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Rankings average of 7.8. That is how 8.2 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.5 | 28 | 100% |
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