Atonement
By Ian McEwan

This novel follows the lives of the Tallis family in England from 1935 to 1999. The three main characters are Briony, a 13-year-old with envy in her heart; her sister, Cecilia; and Robbie, the son of the estate's housekeeper. We see the innocence and beauty of young love corrupted by a single lie—and how those three lives are forever changed. It's a story of forgiveness and absolution, and of how much our own hunger for love can color our morality.