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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
WWII violence; the retreat from Dunkirk; brutal battlefield injury described
Language
Some
Moderate language
Sexual Content
Some
A sexual assault depicted as a central crime; adult intimacy between Cecilia and Robbie
Substance Use
Barely any
Minimal substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Strong psychological intensity; childhood misunderstanding with adult consequences; decades of guilt; metafiction about the limits of atonement
What this book is about
On a sweltering summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses events she doesn't fully understand and makes an accusation that destroys the life of her sister Cecilia's lover, Robbie Turner. The novel follows Robbie through the retreat from Dunkirk and Cecilia through her wartime nursing work, and watches Briony's lifelong attempt to atone for what she did. One of the masterpieces of early twenty-first century fiction, Atonement is devastating and beautiful.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Sexual assault described
WWII violence
Adult themes throughout
Reader Verification
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