Atonement (2001) is a novel written by British author Ian McEwan. It tells the story of Briony Tallis's terrible mistake and how it changes her, Cecilia Tallis's and Robbie Turner's lives forever, and consequentially her effort to find atonement.
It is widely regarded as one of McEwan's best works and is one of the most celebrated and honoured books of recent years. It was shortlisted for the 2001 Booker Prize for fiction, an award he had already won for his previous novel, Amsterdam. McEwan utilises several stylistic techniques in the novel including metafiction and psychological realism.