Introduction

For readers of Ann Patchett and Celeste Ng, Penitence is a poignant exploration of love and forgiveness. It’s a suspenseful, addictive page-turner filled with literary insight that compels readers to consider whether the worst thing we’ve ever done is all that defines us.

When a shocking murder occurs in the home of Angie and David Sheehan, their lives are shattered. Desperate to defend their family, they turn to small-town lawyer Martine Dumont for help, but Martine isn’t just legal counsel?she’s also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, a now-successful New York City criminal defense attorney. As Julian and Angie confront their shared past and long-buried guilt from a tragic accident years ago, they must navigate their own culpability and the unresolved feelings between them.

Spanning decades, from the ski slopes of rural Colorado to the streets of pre-9/11 New York City and back again, Kristin Koval’s debut novel Penitence is an examination of the complexities of familial loyalty, the journey of redemption, and the profound experience of true forgiveness.

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Discussion Questions

From the publisher:

1. In the opening scenes of Penitence, the reader learns that 13-year-old Nora has killed her older brother Nico. Nora and Nico’s parents, Angie and David, have very different ways of handling the crime and moving forward. Were you surprised by either of their reactions? If you were a parent, what do you think you’d do in this situation?

2. At the beginning of the novel, Julian has an encounter with a tourist to Lodgepole who read about Nora’s case on social media and made a snap judgment about Nora’s guilt and what she might or might not deserve. Do you think this type of snap judgment happens frequently in our current society? How has this affected you directly?

3. Why do you think Nora killed Nico? Why do you think the author chose not to answer this question for readers?

4. Two major themes of Penitence are guilt and forgiveness. Should asking for forgiveness absolve guilt? What role do the concepts of blame, mercy, and empathy play in forgiveness?

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