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NAN A. TALESE, 2002
(available in paperback from Anchor, 2003)
WITH A GIFT for manipulation and a wild imagination, but an incomplete understanding of the adult world around her, a thirteen-year-old English girl, Briony Tallis, sets in motion a tragic series of events that leaves her older sister’s lover, Robbie Turner, wrongly accused of an unspeakable crime. Briony’s search for atonement spans six decades as she seeks, in her own unique way, to repair the damage she has done to the lives of her sister, Cecilia, and Robbie. Through the London Blitz and the blood-soaked fields of northern France, Briony seeks to rewrite the history she has created, and to right the wrongs of decades past.
In one memorable scene before the war, the extended Tallis family and several guests take their seats at the family table on a day so hot no one has an appetite … not for food or, because of a shocking event known only to some at the table, for conversation either. This leaves Robbie Turner, one of the leading characters, to wonder whether it is his imagination or “malign intent” on the part of Betty, the household cook, “that made the adults’ portions appear twice the size of the children’s.” Imagination and intent, malign and otherwise, are recurring themes throughout Atonement.
At the conclusion of a languid meal featuring roast beef and potatoes, Betty serves a traditional English bread-and-butter pudding.
Bill Pryor and his wife, Debbie, prepared this recipe, which they got from their friend Mary Kate Dillon, to serve to Real Men, Real Books, a men’s book club in the Boston suburbs, when they discussed Atonement. “The pudding was hearty and delicious,” says Pryor. “The men inhaled it.”
Bread-and-butter pudding, a British dessert dating back centuries, is a simple comfort food that has made a comeback in the last decade, appearing on menus at some of England’s tonier restaurants. Puddings are a staple of British cuisine, considered “a sensible and economical bundle of food values for the relatively well-off,” says Daniel Pool, author of What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew (Simon & Schuster, 1993). If you like rich desserts as an accompaniment to rich discussion, we recommend this version of the English classic.
½ cup light brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 12 slices white sandwich bread 1 cup raisins (dried cranberries or sultanas may be substituted) |
4 cups half-and-half 4 eggs 4 egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Sweetened Whipped Cream (optional, see p. 434) |
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread and slice in half diagonally. Overlap bread triangles in a baking dish, buttered sides up, with cut edges facing the same direction. Sprinkle with the brown-sugar mixture and top with raisins.
In a small bowl, mix the half-and-half, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla with a whisk. Pour the mixture over the bread and raisins in baking dish. Press edges of bread down and set aside for 15 minutes to let bread absorb the liquid.
Place the baking dish inside a larger pan and fill the outer pan halfway with water. Bake 30–40 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm, topped with Sweetened Whipped Cream if desired.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
“In Atonement, Ian McEwan seems to be saying something about writing, and about the writer’s imagination,” says novelist Bill Littlefield of the Real Men, Real Books Book Group of Needham, Massachusetts. “McEwan explores the way a writer uses what happens in his or her life as material for creating another reality, in this case a reality in which atonement is possible, whereas the unmanageable real world might not have allowed it,” adds Littlefield.
Atonement won universal praise from the members of the Real Men, Real Books Book Group because of its “you are there” depictions of the English retreat across northern France, scenes of profound sensuality, a deep exploration of the power of imagination to shape events, and an unexpected twist that challenges the reader to reevaluate everything that has gone before.
“There were unexpected insights in our discussion,” says Tom Anderson. “We noted the exact point—an obscene word in a love letter that was supposed to remain private—where the book turned from something interesting to something compelling, and the choices of structure and language that made the novel work so effectively. Linking the domestic tragedy with the war provoked analysis of the abstract issues of evil, ego, and the downside of creating the world in one’s own image. The heroics of a man caught in someone else’s drama was also something I hadn’t thought about before.”
Bill Pryor served English ale and cheeses along with Bread-and-Butter Pudding for the group’s meeting to discuss Atonement.
Sue Gray prepared an English high tea for her Seattle-based Wuthering Bites book club’s discussion of Atonement. “The menu for Atonement was fun,” says Gray. “I love the little sandwiches that go with high tea.” Gray served a variety of finger sandwiches, including cucumber and chicken salad, as well as cranberry chutney and cream cheese on crackers, along with a Pimm’s Cup, a drink that she heard was Prince Charles’s favorite, made with Pimm’s liqueur and club soda, and garnished with lemon. “High tea has changed over the years to include anything from the most elegant of pastries to the simplest of sandwiches. It’s a wonderful tradition and a great way to break up the day and share a bit of conversation, good food, and a spot of revitalizing tea,” added Gray.
