"The Penalty" is a historical novel by the American writer Governor Morris, which was first published in 1913. In this book, the author tells the story of a lawyer who becomes the defender of a young Indian leader accused of a crime. A desperate struggle for justice unfolds before the reader in the socio-political context of the beginning of the 20th century, which is marked by a tense plot and unpredictable turns of events. "Penalty" is a book that makes you think about the problems of justice, racial stereotypes and intercultural communication, as well as about the value of human life and belief in the truth.