A critically acclaimed literary novel by Ian McEwan. Set in England before and during World War II, the story begins when thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis misinterprets a series of events and makes an accusation that changes the lives of her older sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner forever. As the consequences of that mistake unfold over decades, the novel explores guilt, love, memory, class, war, forgiveness, and the power of storytelling.