This week, we read Atonement by Ian McEwan

This 2001 novel follows thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis who witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives—together with her precocious literary gifts—brings about a crime that will change all their lives.

Ella joins me on this episode to discuss:

• Why we had to reschedule this recording so Jenna could watch the movie
• Why the second third of the book lost us
• Why the bomb scene in Oppenheimer and the sex scene in Atonement hold the same tension.

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will have you hearing a typewriter sound everywhere you go.

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: Choc-tail
• TV SHOW - The Pursuit of Love, Severance
• BOOK - The Great Gatsby, The Nightingale
• MOVIE - Lady Chatterley's Lover, 1917

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

* Disclaimer *

At Red Wine Reads, we want to engage in the stories of people from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. The value of books lies in the power of storytelling and sharing a range of perspectives. We don't want to just read what we know, we want to read stories that open our worldview. And in turn, that means getting into challenging, rewarding conversations. But we are not experts in any field — literature, race relations, politics, etc .— and we know that our reviews of these books come from a place of privilege. We encourage our community of readers to add to these conversations with their own thoughts, critiques, and questions. We want to open up a safe place for people. That being said, we also realize that getting into race, sexuality, gender, and other difficult topics can be triggering. We aim to include content warnings whenever they are applicable but we are not perfect. So as we continue to do our best, know you have the room to tell us when we can do better and even, if you want to, share resources with us. Let's learn, grow, and have fun together.