Good People
The most talked-about debut novel of 2026
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Good People
Narrated by:
Full Cast
Buy Now for $31.86
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Narrated by:
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Full Cast
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By:
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Patmeena Sabit
About this listen
'AWFULLY ADDICTIVE . . . PEOPLE, GOOD AND BAD, ARE GOING TO LOVE IT' GUARDIAN
'A SPECTACULAR TRIUMPH' KHALED HOSSEINI
'THRILLING. I'LL BE RECOMMENDING THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE' ANN PATCHETT
'GORGEOUS AND POWERFUL' TOMMY ORANGE, NEW YORK TIMES
'A SWEEPING FAMILY SAGA' SUNDAY TIMES
CHOSEN AS A 2026 MUST-READ BOOK BY THE GUARDIAN, SUNDAY TIMES, STYLIST, SUNDAY INDEPENDENT, NEW ARAB AND BBC CULTURE
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EVERYONE THINKS THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED . . .
The Sharaf family is the picture of success. They arrived in America as refugees with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And now, after years of hard work, they live in the most exclusive neighbourhood, their growing family attending the most prestigious schools. Zorah, the eldest daughter, is the apple of her father's eye.
But when Zorah dies in an unthinkable tragedy, the family is thrust into the court of public opinion. There is talk that the Sharafs' happy household was anything but, and soon the veneer of the model immigrant family starts to crumble.
Those who knew her best - and those who never met her - all have an opinion on who Zorah really was, and what really happened to her . . .
Told through the chorus of voices surrounding the Sharafs, Good People is a riveting, provocative and unforgettable story of community, family and identity.
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'PROPULSIVE' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
'BRILLIANT' MONICA ALI
'ADDICTIVELY READABLE' STYLIST
'THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND UTTERLY ADDICTIVE' PAULA HAWKINS
'A BLINDER OF A DEBUT' IRISH INDEPENDENT
'GRIPPING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING' LOUISE O'NEILL
'A CLEVER WHODUNNIT' RED
'UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'LL READ THIS YEAR' ANNA BAILEY
'THRILLING AND ADDICTIVE' INEWS
'ABSOLUTELY RIVETING' EMMA VAN STRAATEN©2026 Patmeena Sabit
Editorial Review
How many unreliable narrators does it take to find the truth?
This brilliantly structured debut tells the story of the Sharaf family, Afghan immigrants who have achieved the American dream in suburban Virginia. This is not a traditional narrative; rather, the story unwinds through statements from community members, journalists, teachers, and attorneys, all looking back at events that led to a shocking occurrence. The inciting incident isn't revealed until halfway through, but you're completely hooked trying to piece together the truth from the beginning. Main characters only exist through others' observations, making them constantly shift in your mind—a puzzle made all the more immersive by the 15-narrator cast.
Good People is a haunting exploration of family, perspective, and how truth depends entirely on who's telling the story. —Tricia F., Audible Editor
Critic Reviews
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, author of THE KITE RUNNER)
Good People is a thrilling tour de force of a novel. I'll be recommending this book to everyone (Ann Patchett)
Ingeniously structured, thought-provoking and utterly addictive, Good People will have everyone talking (Paula Hawkins, author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN)
Brilliant. The best debut I've read in a very long time (Monica Ali, author of LOVE MARRIAGE)
Shocking and intimate . . . absolutely unlike anything else you'll read this year (Anna Bailey, author of TALL BONES)
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)
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)
An extraordinary debut. Tense and propulsive . . . absolutely riveting (Emma van Straaten, author of THIS IMMACULATE BODY)
A clever debut probing the American dream
Told through several different voices, this sweeping family saga will stay with you long after you put it down
Addictively readable . . . I'd put money on this book featuring in everyone's best of lists when we reach the end of 2026 . . . it's absolutely thought-provoking, at times unsettling and gripping throughout
Propulsive . . . There's a big buzz about Patmeena Sabit's Good People
Clever . . . Sabit moves deftly between arguments as we, as readers, bring our own prejudices to bear on just what actually happened
Narrated by a full cast on Audible, the novel's multiple perspectives are brought to vivid life
5 stars is not enough!
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The Voices
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Outstanding narration
Couldn’t put it down
Leaves you guessing
So much insight
So much of our time!
Read this you won’t regret it
Superb! Just amazing!
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Great story
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