Book of The Month discussion

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 each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.

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 post-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.

finally starting and oh my, there are lots of people right from the get go.

going to make a small list lol
(view spoiler)[
Nora Sheehan - 13 year old
Angie Sheehan - mom, takes care of her mother w/ Alzheimer
Diana - Angie's sister
Livia- mom with Alzheimer
David Sheehan - dad
Nico - brother, diagnosed Huntington's disease
Martine Dumont - attorney
Cyrus - Martine's husband (been gone a year?)
Julian - Martine's son, defense attorney in Manhattan
Gregory - tied to Martine, not sure how

(hide spoiler)]

Through 6 chapters

this book is so heartbreaking

(view spoiler)[ I agree, I can't imagine how much more this family can handle. Losing her son and then her daughter in one night - one because of the other.

but I worry that as soon as the son, Nico, realized he would have Alzheimer's like the grandma - I worry he's been asking his sister to kill him since then. They are both so young, could either of them fully grasp what that could/would mean. What it would mean for them BOTH to lose the time - her with jail/prison, and Nico with the time he would have had left? The mother is showing us that Nico was already struggling to do things he loved.

Ugh, it's so sad
and then you add in the additional issue with Diana and the hidden information - between Angie and Julius.

I really like Martine (hide spoiler)]

Through 11 chapters / 52%

(view spoiler)[ I agree, the seeing Julian and Angie together after school was cute but you can also tell that they weren't quite living in the real world. They were still hiding away - their relationship - from both sets of parents.

Martine's heart issues were a shock. I didn't think that was going to be the problem at all but I'm glad help got there in time and that she's okay. I hope she can still work on this case.

I think the fact that these take place in 2016 into 2017 might make the laws and some of the stances a bit different than we have today - but maybe not. They are definitely still looking to punish kids to the same level as adults.

I'm still surprised that everyone's initial gut instinct wasn't to wonder if the brother was hurting his sister. When i told my husband the plot, the first thing he said was " oh no, was the brother hurting her?" so I don't know why no one else has thought this

but I agree with Julian too. I think this was possibly a mercy killing that he'd been begging his sister for (hide spoiler)]

Vicki wrote: "Just a quick comment from Ch. 13

[spoilers removed]"

I know (view spoiler)[ that part gave me another idea.
I wonder if her brother shot himself. One shot might not have woken the parents up. But it might have woken her up.
Maybe she found him and he was suffering. Did she shoot him twice in the chest? And HE did the head shot?

Ugh, it's all just so horrible to think but I know they were both really struggling with him losing his ability to think and move (hide spoiler)]

17 chapters

(view spoiler)[ This sections was easier, not quite as heartbreaking and more strategy
this DA is terrible - I'm glad Julia and Martine had something to push back with. There is just NO history for Nora to be a violent kid.

but I do worry she did do the final 2 shots - she did kill him
but I wonder if her brother actually attempted suicide.

Learning the back story of Julian and Angie, I understand better why he avoided it all. But Julian was not thinking straight if he really thought Angie's mom would understand or forgive him - although Angie should have been better at communicating.

I hope David and Angie are able to get over this
and I hope Julian goes back home to his wife (hide spoiler)]

and done

wow, this was such a heartbreaking but such a good story!

(view spoiler)[ wow, I didn't anticipate Julian being the dad either. Surprised but it was good that he also got tested and now knew. I didn't anticipate David knew either!! I know they hinted that they treated the kids different - I didn't realize there was a reason! Wow

and then getting Nora's POV of what she remembers. It's so shocking and scary that she didn't actually remember much, didn't know exactly why she did it. That impulse to do it is scary. I was hoping she'd somehow been turned towards helping her brother by either her brother or by a mercy killing (because he'd already shot himself) but for HER to have thought of it. That's a bit scarier.

I really liked the ending - I thought it was accurate for what each couple and person was experiencing. I absolutely thought Julian would be that mad - I was glad he got on her a bit.

I agree - definitely two comparisons of losing a child - Livia to an accident (but something she thought was more purposeful than was) and then One mother who lost a child, killed by the other.

It was interesting to see Diana's death through Angie's eyes and then her loss of Nico by Nora through her eyes. I was so glad she forgave Nora - even as hard as it would have been! I can't even imagine! (hide spoiler)]

I read this as an ARC so posting my previous buddy read discussions here just in case anyone wants to read and discuss😊😊


My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Doing the same, Trisha. Here are my comments

Through Ch. 6 Stopped at Ch. 7 (28%)

I'm enjoying this one so far. But I have to stop and read another book for a challenge that I forgot to add my book for...ugh. My brain! lol I'll be back!

(view spoiler)[I don't even know what to say! Jeez, I feel for this family. A mother with Alzheimer's, a teen son with Huntington's disease, and then to top it all off one of your children shooting the other! How much can one person take?

I don't know why but I feel like Nora did purposely kill Nico, but I don't know if she is mentally ill. I can imagine that being in that juvenile detention would make anyone crazy and seem mentally ill.

I can totally see both of the parents blaming the other as well as questioning how they might've contributed to the shooting somehow...just so tragic! (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 10 Stopped at Ch. 11 (49%)

(view spoiler)[I'm enjoying reading more about Julian and Angie's past and their days together after their high school days. I don't know how he's kept his thoughts about Diana and what happened to himself without at least telling Angie. And how on earth have they kept their entire relationship a secret from her parents? I think that was a bad move for sure.

Her dad's pancreatic cancer,, so devastating. Angie seems to be so close to him. I guess this is going to lead to his demise.

And Julian's first case looks to be like a difficult one for sure. I bet he figures out something to win his case. One thing that shocked me and I didn't know (and wonder if it's real fact) is that in NY if a 13 year old is suspected of murder they automatically are tried as an adult? That's a tough one! (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "Through 6 chapters

this book is so heartbreaking

(view spoiler)[ I agree, I can't imagine how much more this family can handle. Losing her son and then her daughter in one night - one because of the other.

bu..." (hide spoiler)]

I never thought of that possibility but I like it. Guess we'll find o

Just a quick comment from Ch. 13

(view spoiler)[I think you might be right, Trisha. I don't know if Nico asked Nora to shoot him or if she just thought she was showing mercy. As soon as Ignacio shot the coyote and said, "I didn't want him to suffer," and she said, "I know," made me think that she did shoot him for that reason. Whether he influenced it or not seems likely, especially since he wasn't doing well in school and was seemingly on a downhill path. (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 17 (75%)

(view spoiler)[For one thing, it doesn't sound like Angie married David for the right reason. I think, in part, she married him to help her forget about Julian.

I felt bad that Julian lost his case for the boy he was representing. Life in prison for his crimes doesn't seem fair.

Now that Nora's being tried as an adult, I am more concerned for her. I thought Julian would win his case and that would give me hope for Nora, but he didn't. And Livia is dead now. I can't even imagine all of the emotional trauma that Angie is going through. But I do understand why Nora is rather emotionless, especially after being in prison. I think that by the nature of her situation she'd definitely build a cold exterior.

I was wondering if maybe Martine had a clue about what Julian's part in Diana''s death was, but it doesn't seem like it now.

Again, the idea of a "mercy killing" comes up. I want to know and I'm going to be upset if Nora never says and we never find out what actually happened!

Finished ~ I was NOT expecting that!

(view spoiler)[But it makes sense how it seemed like Angie and David treated Nico and Nora differently, or at least how they reacted to how each other felt about the shooting. Wow! How awful though that Angie never told Julian he had a son...that makes me angry!

I felt so bad for Angie! I can imagine as a mother being so angry with your child who killed a sibling. She had no idea what really happened and had so many thoughts about it. At the same time trying to grieve over Nico's death. Ugh...I think every mother can understand her ambiguous feelings. I don't think Livia ever truly forgave Angie for Diana's death.

I think this book was more about forgiveness and Angie's getting to that point than anything else. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Finished ~ I was NOT expecting that!

(view spoiler)[But it makes sense how it seemed like Angie and David treated Nico and Nora differently, or at least how they reacted to how each other felt about the shooting. Wow! How awful though that Angie never told Julian he had a son...that makes me angry!

I felt so bad for Angie! I can imagine as a mother being so angry with your child who killed a sibling. She had no idea what really happened and had so many thoughts about it. At the same time trying to grieve over Nico's death. Ugh...I think every mother can understand her ambiguous feelings. I don't think Livia ever truly forgave Angie for Diana's death.

I think this book was more about forgiveness and Angie's getting to that point than anything else. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I don't think I said anything about David, but I didn't stop to think he knew either but it totally made sense. I felt that he wasn't quite as loving or caring (something was off) about Nico.

We are in total agreement on all of your final comments! (hide spoiler)]

I am so glad you liked it too, Trisha!

And my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I did not pick this book because it sounded so heavy and was labeled "graphic violence." I'm not reading your spoilers, but see that you liked it. How much did you all like it? Did you love it? Is it 5 stars, a must read?

It's a very moving story - and really tough to imagine
but I didn't find it violent.

I'd definitely recommend it if you are okay with emotional reads and you like tough ideas grappling with forgiveness and loss.

Vicki gave it 4 stars and I gave it 4 stars too! But I'm really stingy with my stars! lol I don't give 5 stars unless it's a book I intend to read again (and that is really rare for me)

I confirm what Trisha said! It was really good and I don't recall it being graphically violent. Perhaps to some people, but it's not full of violence that I remember. And, yes, Trisha is stingy with her 5's and I'm a wee bit more generous. Usually she and I have either the same rating or she's 1 star less that I am, but at times she's a 1 or 2 and I'm a 4. lol People view books, themes, how the author writes, etc. so differently that it's hard to say but in my opinion it was very good! I'm curious to see what you think if you read it.