On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. However, Briony’s limited understanding of adult intentions, combined with her precocious literary talents, leads to a crime that drastically alters their lives. The novel tracks the impact of this crime through the havoc of World War II and into the late twentieth century, as it explores themes of love, war, class, and forgiveness.