"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, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes and The Half Moon
"Big-hearted, bold, and deftly plotted,
Penitence tells a shocking tale of fratricide against the backdrop of two families linked by love, chance, and tragedy. I couldn't put it down. Kristin Koval emerges as a remarkable new voice in fiction."
--Adrienne Brodeur, bestselling author of Little Monsters and Wild Game "Deeply humane, spiky, yearning, heartfelt, rendered in brisk and often stunning prose, Kristin Koval's
Penitence poses so many rich and complicated questions about where and how guilt lives."
--Lynn Steger Strong, author of Flight "Kristin Koval's prose is crisp and readable and insightful...
Penitence will grab you on its first page and hold you tight until the end."
--Laura Spence-Ash, author of Beyond That, the Sea "
Penitence, riveting as a thriller, is a wise and profound novel. After a shocking tragedy unfolds in a small Colorado community, those intimately affected must grapple with their limitations and their buried histories. Kristin Koval relays their stories with great wisdom and compassion in this remarkable debut."
--Claire Messud, bestselling author of The Emperor's Children and This Strange Eventful History
