THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF MISTAKEN ALLEGATIONS....

In a story that seemingly opens upon an ordinary, yet hot summer day in the year 1935, we meet several characters in a family, from the youngest daughter Briony to her older sister Cecilia. Their "cousins from the North" are arriving, and Briony, who fancies herself to be a talented writer, has created a play. One that will really impress her older brother Leon.

At thirteen, Briony is at that age when she thinks she knows more than she does, and, in fact, she must drive that point home in every situation. Unfortunately, this trait will change her life and the lives of everyone around her by the day's end.

A young man named Robbie Turner, the housekeeper's son, will make several appearances throughout the day, and in one such encounter, Briony sees Cecilia and him at the fountain, interacting in a way that confuses and astounds her. Later, a series of events involving a letter, another encounter, and in the evening, something that seems like a sexual attack will set in motion life-changing moments that will unwind and unfold irrevocably, casting Robbie as a violent predator and severing the ties of a family.

Throughout the pages of Atonement, we follow Robbie in his war struggles and are privy to his thoughts about Cecilia, with whom he corresponds; he seems to be hanging on to the thread of an idea that something might change, that Briony has recanted.

Then we jump to Briony, who has turned to the back breaking and difficult challenge of nursing, turning away from her dream of writing. Is she trying to make amends in some way?

Throughout her life, she regrets what happened, and even writes various "fictional" accounts of that day. But will she be able to atone for what she did? Does she now understand the irreversible damage?

The final portion of the book shows Briony as a woman of seventy-seven, celebrated at a birthday party. In the moments leading up to her party and afterwards, she seems contemplative, reflective, and possibly sorry.

Let me say that the story was absolutely chilling in portraying the long term effects of mistaken allegations. Perhaps in some ways, we see Briony "pay" with the losses, but in the end, she has people around her. What of Cecilia and Robbie? I do not believe that Briony "innocently" made her charges out of misunderstanding. In my opinion, she was a vindictive, selfish little girl who wanted more attention than she was getting and found a way to obtain it. The fact that she had a somewhat successful writing career after all, and was celebrated...well, she did not pay enough. Let us say that I found everything about this character repugnant.

The story was one I shall never forget, even though at times it moved slowly, bogged down by details that felt cumbersome. Brilliant writing kept me going, however, as did my curiosity about how the author would bring about the final "atonement." Four stars.