A shy and ambitious headmaster, Mike Bordwin, tries to uphold the reputation of Avery Academy. One evening, a tape surfaces showing four students—three boys (including scholarship‐student Silas) and a girl named Sienna—engaged in sexual activity. The tape is small, but its impact is enormous.

The school administration attempts to contain the scandal quietly. Mike feels pressured to protect the school’s image, his job, relationships with faculty, and his own moral standing.

Each of the main characters (students, parents, staff, townspeople) is given a voice—Shreve shifts perspectives between them, revealing how this incident affects their lives, reputations, relationships, and sense of self.

Testimony is a thoughtful and compelling novel that shows how one reckless, recorded night at a privileged private school can unravel lives and expose secrets. Anita Shreve uses this incident as a lens to explore guilt, innocence, power, and the price of silence.