The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans
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"Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding. Virginia Evans shows how one woman changes at a point when change had seemed impossible. That change, like this novel, turns out to be a cause for celebration."--Ann Patchett
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - LIBRARYREADS APRIL PICK - NAMED A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING (UK) MOST ANTICIPATED DEBUT
"Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle, or, a better metaphor, if dated, the links of a long chain, and even if those links are never put back together, which they will certainly never be, even if they remain for the rest of time dispersed across the earth like the fragile blown seeds of a dying dandelion, isn't there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one's life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?"
Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters--to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.
Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has--a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.
Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, Β The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime. Sybil Van Antwerp's life of letters might be "a very small thing," but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780593798430
EAN:
9780593798430
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
304
Authors:
Virginia Evans
Publisher:
Crown Publishing Group (NY)

I heard Dana Perino and Martha McCallum talking about how much they had enjoyed this book on one of their Fox News shows and it sounded like something I would like. It was! Iβm getting older (into my β70s) so the theme of an older woman reviewing and evaluating her life decisions and things she deeply regretted and was still trying to come to terms with I found so deeply moving and true to life. It felt authentic, like Sybil could easily be me or a friend. Good read!
Imagine: an epistolary novel in 2025. Even more surprising, at least to me, is it being a best seller and receiving accolades from the accolade-delivering people. It is a beautiful story.
I am a teacher with an M.Ed., as well as having been a children's literature teacher (and was a literature major in college). I read constantly and have never seen an author's bio reference her as being "from the eastern United States" with no listed birthplace! I suspect she is European because she makes constant reference to a person in her 70s as being old. I heard this from my good friend's daughter, about her, in Germany, as well as from our Swiss friends, referring to themselves as old.I read this book in one day. There was much to find fascinating about it. Obviously.However, aspects stretch credulity. An "old woman" successfully helping a Syrian refugee gain employment and become successful. The same woman rescuing the son of a friend who is suicidal, and helping him gain great success. Aspects were pat, like having her die before the reader (or author) had to tackle dealing with her blindness.Then there are the gratuitous slams at President Trump as well as predictable praise of Obama. Please. Don't we read to escape politics? I do, though it has become more difficult.
Wow. Just wow. I lost a lot of sleep addicted to reading this book. The format of revealing a life through letters was refreshing and original. In places where I guessed what was about to happen (because the characterβs main life event is one I too live through each day), I found myself consoled and my experience reinforced. Very delicate to pull off in such a classy way. My heart goes out to Nicky, especially. A beautiful book, this deserves every penny of royalties it earns. Brava!
I read this book over the course of a 3 month period. While reading it, I imagined it to be written by someone older, so I was quite surprised to find it was by a young person. I loved the character development which revealed itself in each letter. I enjoy ed the variety of characters who she chose to include in her book,who were from all walks of life, and included several continents. This could be the rare book that I choose to read a second time.