On the hottest day in 1935, and on the brink of a world war, three children lose their innocence as the sweltering summer heat bears down and their lives are changed forever. Cecilia Tallis is of England's privileged class; Robbie Turner is the housekeeper's son. In their moment of intimate surrender, they are interrupted by Cecilia's hyper-imaginative and scheming 13-year-old sister, Briony. As chaos consumes the family, Briony commits a crime, the guilt of which she shall carry throughout her life.

Atonement is a story with emotional intensity and a gripping plot, brilliant and utterly enthralling in its depiction of childhood, love, war, England, and class. The novel is a profoundly moving exploration of shame, forgiveness, and the difficulty of absolution.