The Penance is a masterpiece of its kind, for which the author received the English Critics' Award. The story consists of three parts and numerous dramatic twists, and the central events are set in the thirties and forties of the last century. The main protagonist is thirteen-year-old Briony, who, with her vivid imagination, sees things completely differently. One summer day, she accidentally sees her older sister Cecilia, who shamelessly, stripped to her underwear, jumps into a well, while her friend Robbie watches her lustfully. Completely horrified, Briony, without thinking, instantly weaves the story together and adds her own conclusion. A thoughtful, provocative and moving novel that reveals the power of prejudice and unfounded hasty conclusions.