"Atonement" writer McEwan follows voracious reader Serena Frome in his newest novel. During the Cold War, M15 formulates a plan to give money to writers whose ideas are acceptable to the government and recruits Serena to enter the literary group of a writer named Tom Haley. As Serena falls in love with Tom, she must decide whether to betray Tom or her cause. Serena "was somebody I felt like I could have known," says Nelson. "Sweet Tooth" is "definitely in the 'Atonement' mold.... this is a big, kind of sweeping story of an era."
