How frequently have you read a book that was so good you were sad when it ended? For me it’s rare — because about 60% of what I read is in the domestic suspense genre and pure entertainment. But I recently finished a book that blew me away.
Good People by Patmeena Sabit plays in contemporary Northern Virginia, in the Afghan community. I have a strong affinity for stories about minorities, especially ones set in Arab, Muslim or Indian Subcontinent communities. Not only because I love learning about other cultures, but because there are so many similarities in experience shared among “outsiders” — people who are not part of a given place’s ethnic majority.
Sabit structures her debut novel as pieces of evidence — police interviews, newspaper articles, press releases. At its core is a thriller — what happened to Zohra Sharaf, the beautiful, artistic American-born daughter of Afghan refugees?
The evidence keeps the reader in a state of suspense, even after the core event takes place — because Sabit’s book is about immigrant vs. dominant culture, religious vs. secular values, the tug of family vs. the outside world, self-righteous condemnation vs. empathy. The mystery is never really solved because it all depends on perspective.
I don’t want to give away too much; I’d rather the story unfold for you the way it did for me.
PS: If you’re wondering which box from my IJN 5786 Reading Challenge this ticked off, it was “Av: A tragedy.”
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Speaking of books, my brother Chaim in Israel sent me a creative reimagining of children’s books for the context of the current situation for Israeli families. With titles like Horton Hears a Boom and Cloudy With a Chance of Missiles, it’s the kind of dark humor found in war zones and conflict areas.
