Who was Zorah Sharaf? Was she the golden all-American embodiment of her refugee parents’ hopes, a beautiful and smart young woman whose achievements would repay their sacrifice? Or was she a wayward harlot who forgot the old ways and brought shame on her Afghani family?
Through the recollections and statements of family, friends and associates, this clever and thought-provoking novel tells the story of the Sharaf family, from their arrival as refugees in the US 20 years earlier through to Zorah’s death in a car accident at 18. How did this tragedy come to pass? Was it a tragic accident or was Zorah the victim of an honour killing?
Everyone quickly weighs in with a point of view. The court of public opinion is a harsh judge, with many arguing refugees should leave their ‘barbaric’ customs behind and be grateful for their new life. Sharaf’s friends say the parents are guilty of nothing more than trying to protect their child from making mistakes that would affect her whole future. At the centre, never heard from directly, is a family torn apart with grief at the loss of their daughter.
I couldn’t put Good People down. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Melinda Woledge
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
Good People is her debut book.
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