Good People

by Claire Betita de Guzman

What does it really mean to be good?

Set across Southeast Asia, we meet a thief who finds stealing easier than belonging; a serial cheater longing for connection; an ex-prostitute haunted by the life she escaped; an influencer in a world where likes matter more than life.

These are stories about people who want to do right, but do it all wrong - good people grappling with class divide and complicated kinships, testing moral boundaries in the name of love and survival in a world that offers them too little.

168 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2026

Reviews

[JulienneReads ✧.* ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another book that proves my belief in life—that everything!!!! is rooted in love. 🙂‍↕️✨

I feel like each story showed so many different lives; the majority are far from my own experiences. But it’s fascinating how I see myself relating to different parts of them. We are so different, yet the same!!!! Because again, our common denominator is love. Every decision, every action, every question and every answer... all rooted in love :)

[Neil Franz · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Really like the short stories especially Good People (impactful), The Fabulous Former Lives of Mr. and Mrs. Carangalan (napa-kaya pala ako 😅 kasi I did expect something) and Alter Life (what you see isn't always the truth).

And Tita Claire's prose is really good (for me)!

[kyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

can we all agree that the greatest campaign of ngisngis is the best story in this collection 🥹

[Paula M · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really love a book that leaves me staring at the ceiling for hours, just sitting with everything it made me feel!!! that’s Good People you.

YOU CAN WATCH MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

if you’re looking for something beautifully written that captures how complicated and tender human beings can be, something that reminds you that people are never just one thing, this book is absolutely for you.

[Sai theengineerisreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

real-core, 4.5stars!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh, claire betita de guzman when i catch you...

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

finished this on a sunday afternoon, heat still scorching, my electric fan loud as ever, banana leaves making their soft, restless sounds with the wind, and birds chirping somewhere in between. a good book, and a good kind of background to read in, makes a good people.

they are just all humans. it is their first time to live, and they are all still figuring it out. this book is a reminder of the roots of love, and what we choose to do for love. thank you so much, tita claire, for writing this beautiful collection of stories. how amazing it is that we are all different in our own ways, and still carry the same, beautiful similarities

none may seem feels right, but it’s okay :)

[Cassandra Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh this was beautiful! you know, some days, it’s hard to see the good in this world, and in people, and well, the stories in this book just reminds you that no matter how crazy life is, there’s still some good in the world.

I like that you can take your time with this, and read like, a chapter or two at a given time; or read it during your break time or whatever.

That last story made me bawl. idk if it’s the cat parent in me — (don’t worry; no one dies, but it’s beautiful!) or if I’m just hormonal lol. I barely cry at books, but this one just did something to me. I guess, it’s also because I know the magic that cats can bring.

anyway, what a beautiful collection of stories!

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Even when the details change, the patterns of life stay familiar.”

I devoured this book in one sitting. In just a few hours. The stories, although short, very much felt like home or maybe a glimpse of what home should be and what it should feel like. My favorites from this collection are Good People, Pseudologia Fantastica, The Fabulous Former Lives of Mr. and Mrs. Carangalan, and The Greatest Campaign of Ngisngis.

Good People is a collection of short stories about people who want to do the right thing, but somehow end up doing it wrong.

[Cecelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought his book last PBF 2026 and it didn’t disappoint! I love how it is a 10-stories book and each stories are beautifully written. I’m a mood reader but I didn’t got bored while reading and what a lovely brain Ate Claire has to write this book. All stories are well executed and I like that there’s also a timely story that all Filipinos can relate. I sooo loveee this book! I’m excitee to meet ate Claire later on her booksigning with NBS! ✨🌸

[Shiandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me realize just how big the grey area between good and bad is. Nothing in this world is black and white. I loved this book so much that I ended up finishing it within the day. I was supposed to read it slowly and savor each short story, but I ended up flipping to the next story and the next and the next.

This book is a must read! It is also now one of the books on my "Books I Won't Stop Recommending" list!

[CC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just knew I had to buy this book despite not knowing the author or what's it even about. It was the reason I went to PBF this year despite being on a semi book ban he he he. I liked a few stories more than others but overall I loved the collection. This is how short stories should be written. Or how any story should be written.

[Wilfredo Liangco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ang ganda! Congrats Tita Claire! My favorite is the Mr. And Mrs. Carangalan story! Sana magkatotoo!😝