PENITENCE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE READING THE WEST BOOK AWARDS IN DEBUT FICTION—VOTE HERE FOR PENITENCE BY MAY 31!
An APPLE BOOKS BEST DEBUT OF 2025
“Gripping and propulsive, Koval's deft, evocative writing avoids melodrama, and her novel does far more than propel readers from shock to shock... [She] cultivates suspense in the harrowing internal struggles of her characters, in moments of quiet, believable devastation and self-doubt... Koval suggests that even in the face of the unforgivable, forgiveness is a choice, and sometimes we are the only ones who can extend ourselves the grace we need to go on.”
—The Washington Post
“This story begins with a shocking act of violence but unfolds into a tender story of family, long-held secrets, and what ifs. PENITENCE is both a gripping page-turner and a loving exploration of what it really means to forgive.”
—Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author
