The movie was great, but the book is better. McEwan's novel will both break your heart and inspire you. His protagonist, Briony, sees her older sister, Cecelia, and the groundskeeper, Robbie, in a moment of flirtation, misinterprets it, shattering their entire world with one innocent mistake. Robbie goes off to fight in World War II and Cecelia becomes an army nurse. Their doomed romance and Briony's quest for redemption will stick with you for weeks, as will McEwan's musings on the nature of lies and fiction.
