The Correspondent

by Virginia Evans

“Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . 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?”

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, 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 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.

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.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Audiobook, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Family, Adult Fiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2025

Reviews

[Taufiq Yves · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel is made up entirely of letters Sybil wrote to family, friends, ex lovers, and even strangers - there isn’t a single line of third‑person narration.

Virginia Evans drops the traditional all‑knowing narrator and hands all the puzzle pieces to us. As readers, we have to play detective, piecing together Sybil’s life from shifting dates, subtle changes in greetings, and scattered hints.

That slow, piecemeal reveal feels fresh and immersive, even giving off a bit of voyeuristic thrill. Honestly, the book’s biggest strength lies in its narrative form.

Potential Spoilers Ahead

But no matter how clever the form is, it can’t hide the coldness of Sybil. She is really hard to empathize with - at times she just made me angry. Her lifelong habit is pouring emotions into letters and sealing them away. It looks sensitive and delicate on the surface, but it’s really just avoidance. She’s trapped in guilt and self‑pity, hurting her loved ones along the way.

She kept crucial truths from her ex‑husband, treated him with distance, and froze their relationship for years. When he was dying and reached out with a letter, she ignored it. After he passed, she didn’t even attend the funeral. Instead of reflecting, she felt wronged, claiming he hadn’t kept his promise to never leave her. That victim mentality, set against the harm she caused, makes her suffering feel more like self‑indulgence.

Her so‑called “late‑life awakening” comes way too late and feels calculated. At 79, when her eyesight fails and she can’t live independently, she suddenly decides to “live fully.” She enjoys the pursuit of an old friend while conveniently cozying up to a widowed neighbor when she needs help. That is survival instinct, not awakening.

Even worse is her moral absence. A desperate young mother with a child comes to her for help, but Sybil, consumed by her own grief, coldly turns her away - thinking others should suffer too. That choice indirectly leads to tragedy. It’s a short episode, but it completely shatters her image as a “sensitive intellectual woman.”

And then there’s the ending, which is the most controversial part. Evans gives this evasive, hurtful woman a nearly perfect wrap‑up: late‑life romance, world travel, family reconciliation, universal forgiveness. As if simply deciding to change at 80 erases all past sins. To me, that logic is naïve and cheap. Hundreds of pages of moral tension collapse in the final chapters. I’m forced to confront a, selfish soul, only to be handed a sugary happy ending at the last minute.

So yes, to me - the book’s formal experiment works - the letters build a unique literary world, but in terms of character and content, it’s really disappointing, even infuriating. Sybil’s self‑centeredness, avoidance, and moral indifference cancel out the charm of the form.

I think Evans wants us to believe that anyone, even at 80, can find redemption and happiness if they choose to change. That ending may comfort readers who crave warmth, but rationally, it’s too fairy‑tale, too idealized, and it dodges the hard truths of human flaws and moral dilemmas. A more honest, imperfect ending would have fit Sybil better and dug deeper into the darker side of humanity.

In the end, no matter how beautiful the letters are, they can’t write true redemption.

2.4 / 5 stars

[Diane Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/18/25 -UPDATE
I attended her bookstore event in Charleston last night. She is warm and witty and charming, was very open about her 20 year writing career with so many rejected novels, then finally the success of this one when she least expected it. Funny, self-deprecating behavior wins me over every time. This has reached best seller lists all over the country, though not NYT yet, but it's being published in 20 countries, with more to come.

I'll just go ahead and say right now that this is my favorite book of the year, no matter that it's only the 18th of May. I've got lots of literary male crushes, but Sybil van Antwerp is my first choice for literary best friend. She's 72 when we begin this epistilary novel, crotchety and outspoken, intelligent and well read, independent and set in her ways. She lives alone and has just found out she will be losing her sight gradually over the next few years.

She has always been an inveterate letter writer, feeling that she can get her thoughts down on paper better than orally, so we are treated to her handwritten letters to friends and family, and to anyone else who she feels deserves a piece of her mind, in good ways and bad. She especially loves to write to authors, has an ongoing exchange with Joan Didion about grief, Diana Gabaldon on the amount of sex in her books, and her letter to Larry McMurtry after her 3rd reading of Lonesome Dove had me in tears. We also get emails to and from a few people and businesses. A lot of people write her back and we are treated to their replies as well.

Through these letters and replies, we get the story of Sybil's life. She's made a few horrendous and life altering mistakes in her time, for which she feels horrible guilt. She makes amends where she can, but that's not always possible. In short, she lives just as we all do, trying the best she knows how.

That's why I love Sybil, she tries. Not always successfully, but always whole-heartedly. She helps when she can, reaches out, isn't afraid to admit fault or assign it. I finished this book wishing I were one of her correspondents, because letter writing is a dying art and when it's done right, is a special thing. Just think of how you feel when you get a simple thank you note instead of a text or email. Or a postcard from a friend who bothered to write, find a stamp and take it out to the mailbox. It always gives me a little jolt of joy, but doesn't happen often. In fact, I plan to write this author myself, a hand-written note to say how much I enjoyed this book. Maybe, just maybe, she'll write me back.

[Angela M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Sybil,

People will think I’m crazy for writing a letter to a fictional character, but if Virginia Evans had not done such a fabulous job of making you seem real, I might not be doing this . If my Goodreads friends had not loved you so much , especially Diane who had named you her “literary best friend”, and guaranteed that I’d love this book, I might not have discovered you so soon . A link to her review is below. Truth be told, you’re not the first fictional character I’ve written to. I also wrote to Sully , my favorite Richard Russo character. Must be I relate to characters of a certain age who are set in their ways. In any event since this is an epistolary novel and I came to know you through your letters and the letters sent to you , I thought it was an appropriate thing to do.

I have to let you know what getting to know you has meant . Every once in a while on my reading journey an unforgettable character touches my heart and you are among them . Maybe I connected with you because we’re close in age and like you I have reached the point where I have no qualms about speaking my mind . Maybe it’s because you read a lot of novels as I do and I’ve read almost every one you mentioned . I especially love that you enjoy Ann Patchett, one of my favorites. I love that you write letters to authors and just about everyone else in your life. You’re witty and downright funny at times asking a friend to be a plus one at a funeral and self deprecating about how an old black dress might look. On the other hand, the burden of grief you carried made me cry. Maybe I connected with you because I could relate to the fact that you are not perfect and made mistakes along the way. Life hasn’t always been easy, but you’ve been fortunate to have some wonderful people in your life like your best friend and ex sister in law , Rosalie, your neighbor Theodore Lubeck, and I loved the relationship you had with Harry , the teenage son of a friend who really needed your friendship and the letters you wrote to him .

I could go on , but readers need to meet you for themselves. It’s been great getting to know you , Sybil . I’m so very sorry for the burden of grief you carried and I need to tell you my heart was broken for you . However, I felt joy at the triumphs in your life.

Thanks to Virginia Evans for letting us into your life with her debut novel .

Sincerely,
Angela

**********

Dear Goodreads friends, you should read this novel and Diane’s review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Your friend, Angela.

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 5 out of 5]

SYBIL!!!!! LET ME WRITE YOU A LETTER!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!

This was seriously a wonderful read, all told through letters to and from our main character Sybil - a woman in her 70’s living alone. She’s corresponding with family, friends, authors, and literally anyone and everyone. We see her humor, her regrets, her personal feelings and everything between. It felt so HUMAN and I loved that so much!

[Roxane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect novel, so satisfying and beautifully conceived and written. Ten out of ten, no notes.

[Canadian Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sybil van Antwerp is a saucy septuagenarian. Armed with a pen and paper she cuts to the chase with every correspondence she writes.She writes to her brother, her friend, a gentleman friend, a neighbour, a customer service rep-anyone and everyone. She receives letters
back but not all of them are friendly.

This is told in epistolary form which I’m not usually a fan of, but wow, did this one work.

Sybil is reflecting on her life as she moves through her ‘winter’. The connections she has made and what they meant to her. As she struggles with going blind, she fears what will become of her correspondences, her relationships. She empties her life into these letters- her love, her grief, and her hope.

This was uplifting and at times heavy but beautifully written. A tribute to a life past, but also a life which can be filled in abundance with surprises right up to the end of a winter season.
5 ⭐️

TY to Tracy for sharing your copy!

[Marialyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know, I know how is it possible that I only found this to be a three star read?

I found the main protagonist to be so very unlikable so that perhaps makes up a major reason why I rated this low. She put forth so many characteristics that I abhorred. I do realize how devastating the loss of a child can be. Of course, thankfully, I do not know what one does to overcome if one can the ravages of that loss. However, I do think, Sybil deserted both her husband and her other children at that point. The children lost a brother, the husband a son, should she not have been there for them? When she didn't attend the funeral of her ex husband it brought sad memories of my ex father in law doing the very same thing to his five children. My husband and his siblings were so very hurt and bereaved and needed a father to shepherd them through the hurt. Just like Sybil no one was there.

She retreated into letter writing, (a lost art it seems), and even here I found little in her writing that showed she was not a cold woman. I know she took in that boy and perhaps that was an effort to try and "make up" for her cold behavior towards her own family. In thinking back, I do not remember a time when Sybil cried or even laughed in the story. She was too stoic for me.

Perhaps my empathy factor in this story was missing, but even if she considered herself a horrible mother, her behavior reinforced that belief. At times I thought her to be an autistic adult who locked herself away in the effort to feel and do as little as she possibly could. She became a hermit within herself.

Jan and I had quite a lively discussion over this story and agreed that when we disagree. we have the best "talks".

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute perfection! Bravo to the audio narration! Maggi-Meg Reed as Sybil was beyond. The full cast brought me to tears.

Reading epistolary books is a reading experience not like anything else. The depth at which we get to know these characters, especially Sybil meant so much to me. By the end, everything came together so beautifully.

“I’m sorry i didn’t do better. I know you think of me as your mother only, but please inside, I am just a girl.”

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things to do after reading this:
Read lonesome dove and Outlander
Revisit my penmanship
Start a letter writing campaign …subject tbd
Hug my kids
Cry? 😭

[Amy Mason · Rating 1 out of 5]

I genuinely thought I’d love this book. The reviews for The Correspondent by Virginia Evans have been overwhelmingly positive, and the idea of a story told through letters and emails really appealed to me. Sadly, it didn’t live up to expectations. Although the fragmented format made it a relatively quick read, I still found it a struggle to get through.

The main issue for me was Sybil, the protagonist, who I found deeply unlikeable. Early on, she makes a comment about someone’s English being “a cut above what you usually hear from foreigners, so crack on wherever it is you are over in the east,” and although she later apologises, the apology feels half-hearted. She then continues to refer to the character (Basam) as her “friend” from Syria in a way that comes across more as a performative quirk than genuine growth.

(Spoilers relating to the story from this point on!) She also spends much of the book complaining about her daughter not visiting, yet didn’t attend her ex-husband’s funeral, a fact her daughter rightly calls her out on. That letter, in particular, felt refreshingly honest in a story that otherwise felt emotionally off-kilter.

One of the more baffling moments comes when Sybil accidentally runs over her neighbour’s cat. Rather than responding with sincere remorse, she refuses to use her own towels to help, and later reflects on the event as “humiliating” - a strange choice of word. Remorseful, devastated, ashamed… any of those would have made more sense.

The structure of the novel also didn’t quite work for me. The choice to present everything through letters and emails feels more like a creative constraint than an organic storytelling decision. It sometimes stretches believability especially when nearly everyone in her life communicates with her this way. Letters are presented out of chronological order, and certain details feel oddly placed, such as a letter dated from her neighbour as “Feb. 29, 2016 (Leap year)”. It’s unclear whether that note in brackets is intended for the reader’s benefit or meant to reflect the character’s voice, but either way, it pulled me out of the story.

Sybil’s correspondence with Henry, a young boy, also raised concerns. She promises not to share details from his letters unless he’s in danger, but then repeatedly passes them along based on minor worries, which felt more intrusive than protective. And when Henry eventually shows up at her house after a breakdown, she comments on how spotty his skin is, a detail that felt unnecessarily unkind.

There are also several moments where mental health is treated in a way that feels outdated. Referring to someone as “out of her wits” or likening anxiety to something that “spread like kudzu” came across as incredibly insensitive.

A subplot involving someone threatening Sybil runs throughout the book but it’s so inconsistently addressed that it’s hard to care about it. Sybil herself barely acknowledges it until midway through the novel, and even then, the tension never quite lands.

Ultimately, Sybil is one of the most frustrating characters I’ve come across. Maybe I've just missed the mark with this one (at the time of writing, the book has over 2,500 five star ratings but only 5 one star ratings) but I found her self-absorbed, lacking in empathy and often dismissive of the people around her. Unfortunately, that made it hard for me to connect with the book as a whole. Aside from the appealing cover and the quick pace, The Correspondent left me very disappointed.

[Lindsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 epistolary stars!

Oh Sybil, you are a character I will never forget!

Sybil enjoys letter writing. It’s her main form of communication. She has been proudly writing letters for decades to everyone in her life — her brother, her best friend, authors of the latest book she loved, neighbours. Sybil feels pride knowing how much thought, planning and precision goes into each letter. Nearing the end of her life, Sybil reflects on what these letters mean to her now and what they have meant over the decades she has been writing letters.

We get to know Sybil through nothing but the letters she has written and received. Each letter carefully dated and addressed to various recipients. A very unique reading experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This novel is packed with emotion. It hit my heart. It is a heavy, thought-provoking read. As you read these letters, your heart will break, but it will also heal and be hopeful. Grief is a main theme that I connected strongly with. The writing was fantastic.

Reader be warned - you will likely have a bit of confusion in the beginning with trying to sort out who is who, but don’t let that bother you. Just go with it. It will all come together beautifully in time as you read further.

This book would have taken meticulous planning. I applaud the author for the excellent execution of this story. A truly unique reading experience that I highly recommend!

⚠️ please review trigger warnings which I am not listing as they can be spoilers.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I know you think of me as your mother only, but please remember, inside I am also just a girl."

Sybil Van Antwerp is many things - an avid reader, a mother, a course auditor, a wife - and above all, a writer.

But her writing does not gather a large following and only a few have read her words for she writes only in the most ordinary of genres - correspondence.

"Remember: words, especially those written, are immortal."

Every day she writes letters - to her best friend, to her adopted brother, to the newspaper, to her neighbor, to anyone who is willing to receive and write back.

Her correspondence has reached people of all walks of life - a teenage boy tormented by his schoolmates, a neighbor who carries a dark secret that has haunted him for decades, and her daughter - whom Sybil can never find the right words for.

Through these letters, we get a sense of who Sybil is - at 73 years old, she has both lived a long life and has so much more to live for. She has both loved and been loved by many people, and she has lost more than one woman can bear.

"How cruel life is only this long. Now that I see clearly, I’d like more time."

As the years go by, and her sight begins to dim, she must confront one of her deepest held and tightly locked secrets - something she has never spoken of or put pen to paper about in decades. And maybe, just maybe, she can find peace.

"...knowing you has been like coming in from the cold, lonely road to find a warm fire and a table laid..."

I.... don't think I have the words to rightly express how I'm feeling about this one. It was beautifully done and yet so heartbreaking.

I remember listening to this one on audiobook and after the book faded to silence, just sitting there - processing.

I needed a moment to just reflect upon this book - everything I have learned about Sybil's life, everything implied by the ending. I couldn't quite move on until I felt my own grief at the loss of Sybil, even though I am fully aware she is "only" a character in a book.

It was truly wonderfully done - so much emotion portrayed and character development showcased by each letter and reveal that I was riveted by her life.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Also, as a side note, the audiobook had so many talented voice actors who helped bring to life each of the characters. It truly brought the book up that extra notch for me.

[Jaime Fok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really is THAT GOOD.

We have letters done right here. We get an intimate look at Sybil through personal correspondence between her and her family, friends, acquaintances, as well as strangers. And what happens is we get these really honest and close insights but also, we start to see the things that she hasn't come to terms with - the things she does not want to open up about. We get an almost crafted version of how Sybil wants to present herself to these people she is writing to. But that almost feels even more honest in so many ways.

I LOVED this energy of being able to form such close connections to other humans by just putting yourself out there and initiating contact. Something that was repeated in this book was that if you send a letter, chances are they will send one back. Even though letter writing is "out of style" these days. To me, it felt like the same vibe of being a kid at the park, meeting someone new, saying hi to them, and immediately you are best friends. Done in the best nostalgic feeling way.

The story isn't entirely unpredictable. You know the direction you're going in. But that doesn't stop it from still being an incredible emotional experience.

Loved this one so much. Feels like the characters in here are real and I feel the urge to continue sending letters to keep up with them even after the story is done. Definitely pick this one up if you haven't yet!

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed as Sybil, and fifteen others for a CAPTIVATING full cast narration.
8 hours 36 minutes at 1x -5 hours 44 minutes at 1.5x

It’s hard to believe that this epistolary novel is a DEBUT. Unfolding entirely through written letters and an occasional email, the story is masterfully crafted.

Meet Sybil Van Antwerp- a tenacious, not always easy to like, septuagenarian who began writing letters as a way to feel close to her birth mother after receiving a letter from her from her loving, adoptive parents.

Most mornings, she sits down to write letters on beautiful imported stationary viewing letters as not only one of the original forms of civility, but also as something to leave behind to those who have cared about her throughout her life.

But, perhaps she ALSO writes because it is a way to keep people at a distance so she won’t get hurt again. Unlike expressing herself verbally, she can take the time to think about what she is saying-instead of rushing to say things that cannot be taken back…

Sybil has been many things over the years-a sister, a friend, a wife, a mother, the distinguished chief clerk to Judge Guy Donnelly, a divorcee, and a grandmother.

And, she will write many letters over the course of this story-to her brother, her best friend, her daughter, letters to the editor, her garden club, and the new Dean of the University who won’t allow her to continue to audit classes. Almost all of the letters end with a query about what book the recipient is currently reading.

She also writes to authors as if they are friends-telling Ann Patchett, Joan Didion, Kazuo Ishiguro, Larry McMurtry, and Diana Gabaldon what their books have meant to her. (minor spoilers for the books mentioned.)

The replies from those who choose to respond each have their own narrator, with a distinctive voice so although I was glad to have a written copy of the book, I always chose to LISTEN simultaneously and highly recommend the Audiobook format.

There is one mysterious letter which she had started writing and added to over the years but it remains unmailed, and one Correspondent who sends unwanted letters to her, signed only as DM.

But, one letter in particular toward the end of the book really stood out. Sybil is RARELY AT A LOSS FOR WORDS, yet we can see that she is tongue tied and struggling to express herself in this one.

And, thus we are treated to the highs and lows of this one MEMORABLE character’s life.

Perfect for Book Clubs

The Publisher’s blurb states: “ 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.”

Isn’t this something that we all gift each other here on Goodreads as well?

Available Now!

[Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

So simple, yet so profound. Stunning. Brilliant. A must-read. 🤍

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

A beautiful debut novel that brought me to tears
Sybil is in her 70’s, retired from law, divorced, has lost one of her three children when he was in his youth.. has an estranged daughter. Sybil was also adopted as a baby and only has one adopted sibling as family.
She has lived her life since retirement writing letters to people .. it’s just her way of communicating instead of face to face. She comes off as very stubborn, righteous, and privileged at the start, and then changes..
This is a book entirely of letters to and from Sybil for several years.

I listened to the audio which is fantastic… a full cast narration, every person did an excellent job!

A favorite quote:

“I’m sorry i didn’t do better. I know you think of me as your mother only, but please inside, I am just a girl.”

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I hope you will tell her she was a perfect baby, born at dawn under a pink sunrise.”

UPDATE BELOW: March 18, 2026

I have been a fan of epistolary style storytelling for quite some time now. Most recently sharing my joy last month (in my 2025 on Goodreads review, August stand-out picks) when I read and reviewed, “Kate & Frida” by Kim Fay. If interested, my review of that book is below.

So, when I heard about this book, I immediately got on the waitlist on June 16, 2025 at my local library to read it. Once it came in on September 4, 2025, I began reading it along with another book I had already started. And, then I just kept reading it, as if it were the only book in the world to read.

On the book cover, author Ann Patchett declares…

“A cause for celebration.”

On page 6 of the hardcover version, the character, Sybil Van Antwerp, our main letter writer, sends Ann Patchett, a letter. A full circle moment?

This is Sybil’s story…her life, her thoughts, her sentiments, her relationships – through letters. (And, the responses she receives.) And, Sybil does not hold back. Through the correspondence she shares, we learn about her past, and the challenges she is facing in the present.

So, who is Sybil really and what makes her so easy-to-read?

“It is the correspondence that is her manner of living.”

A direct-not-afraid-to-say-what-she-thinks kind of character, Sybil displays herself openly for readers to witness and appreciate. There is also a gentleness to her we come to understand as layers of her life are peeled open and laid before readers. Who is she writing to – how is she feeling – what story is she telling – what experience are we as readers coming to learn about as Sybil writes her letters, and we eagerly read them.

There is a touching, heart-full, lyrical soul-full-ness within these pages, of a woman’s life filled with accomplishments, friendship, love, guilt, regrets, grief, insights, forgiveness and heart. There is also a slight mystery.

“I have missed you all this time,…but the fact is that I got every moment of you there was.”

The letters, which translate to the culmination of this book, are moving, elegant, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, heart-warming, well-crafted, and poignant.

Readers will also appreciate the many other book titles mentioned, and familiar named ‘author’ letters that are included as part of the correspondence.

This is a delightfully charming story that expresses itself in a truly imaginative way. It has the ability to hold readers attention from the beginning to the end.

Kleenex is advised.

Kate & Frida by Kim Fay: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

UPDATE: I just discovered this book is headed to the big screen! It’s being adapted into a feature film starring Jane Fonda, with Lionsgate securing the rights after a bidding war among seven studios.
Now I can’t stop picturing how this story will translate visually… the scenes, the tone, the characters brought to life. How about you? I’m so curious what this will look and feel like on screen. Hmmm… I have questions. 😳

[JanB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love epistolary novels, and the audiobook was narrated by a cast of characters, which was outstanding. I highly recommend the audio format for this book.

Sybil is 73, and a retired lawyer. She spends her days quietly, reading and writing letters to various people. Through her letters to her loved ones, as well as the unsent correspondence she pens to an unknown recipient, we get to know her well.

I won’t name the incidents that shape her life, as they are best discovered for yourself, but she’s lived her life under the weight of grief and guilt over her past. The guilt in particular was crushing and soul-destroying, which led to debilitating depression.

The letters captures the emotions of someone who has lived a long life, had tragedies and losses, and is now living with the gradual loss of her vision. She’s slowly going completely blind. A bitter pill for someone like her whose life revolves around books and written correspondence.

One part of her correspondence that I particularly enjoyed was that she and her best friend shared the books they are reading, all of which are very familiar and most of which I’ve read.

(84 Charing Cross Road was one mentioned, another delightful epistolary novel that I recommend).

Books were such an important part of Sybil’s life, that she often wrote to the author, telling them what their books meant to her, with more than a few who wrote back. These communications were delightful.

In today’s world of instant communication through texting and e-mails, writing letters seems to be a lost art, and I was reminded of the pleasure of receiving a chatty letter in the mail.

(Still…. I do like the immediacy of e-mails & texts and would not want to give that up.)

There is a bit of mystery within the story, of why Sybil is the way she is, and the details unspool in a natural and authentic way.

There’s also a mystery with the anonymous letters she receives from someone who is clearly bitter and angry, but we don’t know who or why until later.

Some of Sybil’s decisions are hard to fathom and easy to judge. But as the story progressed I softened toward her. Or at least I understood her a little better.

It’s a rare person who has made no mistakes or unintentionally hurt people along the way. It’s never too late for a rebirth and forgiveness even if the person you need to forgive is yourself.

But overall, this poignant story was a reminder once again to not judge others without knowing the full story.
What’s the saying? Everyone is carrying a burden we cannot see…

But it’s not all poignancy and mystery. There’s also sprinklings of humor and heart in the letters that had me chuckling.

My book buddy, Marialyce, and I had different reactions to the story that led to some great discussions!

[Rosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: An epistolary novel with a geriatric woman in the lead. Realistic and complex character development, which is a surprise considering how we see the story only through letters. Character-driven, obviously. Too many themes. But a commendable debut. Recommended, though not with much gusto. Go in blind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:

Maryland, USA. Sybil Van Antwerp. Seventy-three at the start of the story. Mother, grandmother, retired legal clerk, divorced. Sybil has always loved writing letters. Whether to known people such as family members, friends, and acquaintances, or to professional connections such as work associates and customer service agents, or to strangers such as famous politicians and authors, Sybil never stops writing. Her preferred mode of communication is the actual physical letter, though she does use emails when there is no other option. At her age, she doesn’t expect many alterations to her routine. But some unexpected developments force her to confront a painful period from her past.
The story comes to us through various letters written by and to Sybil from 2012 onwards.

As this is an epistolary novel, it covers quite a number of characters and subplots, not all of which are revealed in the initial 10-20%. As such, the above preview doesn’t indicate the actual depth of the storyline. It is best to go in blind for this story. My review is spoiler-free, despite its length.


Bookish Yays:
💌 The tiny preface, setting the foundation for Sybil’s character. The only non-epistolary part of the book, but a much-needed introduction of the key character.

💌 The characters other than Sybil. We see some of them only mentioned in others’ letters, while the rest are more active contributors to the book by writing to Sybil. Good and not-so-good, relatives and strangers, young and old, these characters cover a fairly wide range of human beings. I like how we get to know many of them well even though we see them only in bits and pieces through what they choose to write or what is written about them.

💌 As Sybil is a reader and interacts with other readers, there are frequent mentions of books and authors. She even has a regular correspondence with some well-known authors.

💌 The epistles. Always sounding like letters, always heartfelt, always detailed. Most of Sybil’s letters are written in a classic and elegant formal style. These offer the true sense of reading an epistolary novel. The letters come from multiple sources, and replies are not always present. But this adds to the mystique of the story.

💌 Character-driven, as is the case with epistolary novels. Fans of plot-oriented novels might struggle a bit, but I like character-oriented storytelling, so I enjoyed this aspect.

💌 The way a person’s realisations, realignments, and regrets are revealed only through letters. Beautifully handled, with many emotions and plenty of humour as well.

💌 Many thought-provoking and quotable quotes. This one was my favourite: " I know you think of me as your mother only, but please remember, inside I am also just a girl."


Bookish Okays:
📮 Sybil. Neither a vulnerable old lady nor a cantankerous meddler. But also not always likeable or sensible. She’s the kind of person who is concerned about outsiders but is either ignorant of or indifferent to her own family’s requirements. She even makes racist comments in one letter. (It was anti-Indian, so I was taken extra-aback at that unexpected remark.) Basically, if you want your leads to be likeable, Sybil might not be your type of person. But she is a convincing old lady, flaws and all. And there is some growth in her character at the end.

📮 The story covers quite a lengthy time span, from 2012 till more than a decade ahead. You need to keep track not just of the correspondence dates but also of the key characters’ advancing ages. Some of the letters aren’t in chronological order.

📮 With multiple letters come multiple characters. The start is especially confusing with too many characters mentioned within a few letters. But things ease after a while as familiarity increases.

📮 There are strong political opinions in a few letters. This wasn’t a big bother for me as my views matched the views expressed. But some readers are sure to be bugged by this unexpected inclusion.

📮 While the letters handle many excellent themes and even highlight how it’s never too late to learn and to make recompense, the fact also is that there are too many disparate themes. The ‘kitchen sink’ of themes, which always creates trouble for debut authors, is overflowing in this one.

📮 One of the letters by Sybil is an unsent one, but she keeps adding to it. This probably makes it count more as a journal entry addressed to someone than as a letter. The identity of the recipient was guessable to me, and the confirmation of my guess led to some unanswered doubts. Regardless, this was an interesting way of letting us see Sybil’s inner thoughts.


Bookish Nays:
📧 Two of the developments weren’t to my liking. Both are major spoilers, so I can’t go into these. But suffice it to say, one of these is a current fictional trend that simply doesn’t appeal to me, and the other is an apology that simply shouldn’t have been offered because what originally happened was just and fair.

📧 The cover. I get that the songbirds represent the letter-writing between Sybil and her closest friend, the only person who has the guts to tell Sybil when she’s going wrong. But this is such a limited part of the book. I don’t think this cover represents the book accurately. In fact, I didn’t even pay attention to the book until I saw a friend’s GR update with another cover (image below), one that suits the book much better IMHO. This cover is too dull in comparison.




Overall, while I wasn’t blown away by the book (I have read enough epistolary novels to not be in awe of them), I still liked it a lot. The layered characters and their true-to-life behaviour compensated for the overload of themes and the two unnecessary plot inclusions. Plus, all of us who have been alive long enough to know the joy of receiving and writing a handwritten letter will feel quite nostalgic about the letters in this story.

This has been promoted as a debut work, and even nominated for “Readers' Favorite Debut Novel” in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2025. However, the author has self-published a novel a decade ago. I guess self-publishing isn't counted as publishing, because even the author’s website and social media has no reference to that first book. It is mentioned only on Goodreads and in a few newspaper articles about this novel. Strange.

I think this is the kind of book that might work better on a reread, as the advantage of hindsight can help keep track of the clues we missed the first time around. If you haven’t yet experienced a proper epistolary novel, this is a good one to begin with, keeping in mind that reading epistolary novels needs more concentration than ordinary novels. Also note that this isn't a light read. Though it has only letters, many of the inclusions are potentially upsetting. Do check the content warnings.

The audiobook supposedly has a full-cast narration, so I am sure it will be a great way of experiencing this novel. However, considering the abundance of characters and letters and dates, I wouldn’t recommend the audio version to audio newbies.

Recommended, though not with as much gusto as some of my GR friends. To appreciate this book, you need to be fond of character-driven writing and preferably of epistolary novels as well. Not for those looking for fast-paced or plot-driven storytelling.

3 stars.


My thanks to Crown Publishing for providing the DRC of “The Correspondent” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


Content Warnings: (Major Spoilers Below.)
Infertility, miscarriage, child death, illness, aging, adoption, potential blindness, parent-child relationship issues, death of loved ones, suicide attempt, animal death, car accidents, cancer, refugee issues.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[Jennifer nyc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t see anyone not liking this who likes literary fiction. It’s a story from letters told with a buoyancy that had me hopping from one to the next almost without my participation. There were times I’d go back, sensing things were loaded, to make sure there was nothing I missed.

At its center is Sybil, who makes correspondence a ritual and shares letters to and from her dearest, as well as a customer service rep, college dean, and several known novelists. The breadth of these made me laugh every time, and somehow reminded me how at age 11 I wrote to Sire Records begging them to re-release The Pretenders first album with clear lyrics on the sleeve. (It’s just the kind of thing Sybil would do, expressing clear frustration of moving the needle back and back, trying to parse what Chrissie Hynde sang while other, easy-to-understand bands came with printed lyrics she didn’t need).

Sybil is like a whimsical Olive Kitteridge, but pursuing protected connection through controlled words. She starts many threads that made me laugh or nod my head in recognition, sometimes at once with tears in my eyes. And little by little, the threads began to weave together around a single center, giving me a fuller sense of her soul.

There’s so much that personally touches me about letter writing, and in addition to immersing us into a very private life, the book also pays homage to writing as an act: of processing trauma and conflict; of creating nurturing relationships in unexpected places; of teaching, learning and healing. And as these threads come together we see that things are not so light and that Sybil can harden in the face of others, creating ripples of irreversible doom.

Ultimately, this is a story of connectedness: how easy it can be to connect to strangers and create mutually nourishing new paths; how difficult it can be to open to the people who are always there; how a single act can form grudges for years; and how small decisions can permanently change our lives.

Like with Elizabeth Strout, the prose is deceptively simple, and information flows beautifully in poetic reveals. Some of the most devastating experiences are described through the personal lens of these characters, adding freshness to old sorrows. For the first 100 pages I was delighted, feeling it was a solid 4 stars. But when the pieces came together, the work became meaningful.

My grandmother had a correspondence ritual and I know she would’ve loved this book. I wonder if her daughters still have those letters? I had a pen pal from 1997-2023, and like Sybil, still have boxes and albums full from that exchange. Unlike her, we wrote in stream-of-consciousness to remove all veils, and shared art and tactile materials to inspire creativity. Like any relationship, each pen-palship has its particular rhythms and design. Although fictional, Sybil felt real to me, and I cheered her on as she made each victory.

A fast-paced read told in lovely prose with a wide range of emotion and all the stuff of life. I had the pleasure of reading this with Jeannie and having it furnish our new relationship in correspondence.

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (Semi-Hiatus-attempting return) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll admit it — the letter format threw me at first. It took a few pages to find the rhythm of Sybil’s correspondence, but once I did, I was completely drawn in.

Sybil Van Antwerp writes to everyone — her children, old friends, famous authors, people from her past, and even a few she’ll never actually send a letter to. Through these letters, her whole life unfolds: the humor, the stubborn streak, the regrets, and the moments of quiet triumph. She’s prickly and opinionated, yes, but also incredibly real — the kind of character who sticks with you long after the last page.

I loved how the format makes you feel like you’re piecing together her life alongside her, noticing small details and feeling her joys and sorrows in real time. It’s intimate, funny, occasionally heartbreaking, and often sharp in ways that make you laugh out loud. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is that the letters can be a little confusing at first — it takes a moment to settle into the timeline — but that was such a minor issue really.

By the end, I was laughing, tearing up, and rooting for Sybil all at once. Thoughtful, witty, and full of heart, this is the kind of book you’ll want to recommend to everyone.

Highly recommend the audiobook 💖👏🏻

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 HUGE STARS!!

This book felt like an addiction. I couldn’t read just one! Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I’d say to myself, just one more letter, but I just kept turning those pages. Believe all the hype, this book is “ a cause for celebration.” (Ann Patchett)

Sybil van Antwerp is 73 years old when I first meet her- she is retired and she spends most of her mornings corresponding with numerous individuals, which include family, friends, a friend’s son, authors and others. She is stubborn, obstinate, thoughtful and a very genuine person. I couldn not help falling for her. I could even relate- I am just a few years younger, short ( she’s five foot one, I am 4 foot 11), have 3 children, have decided to go grey, love books, and don’t suffer fools kindly.

Through her correspondence, we learn about Sybil, her family relationships, her interests and her regrets. She is not perfect but I so appreciated her efforts to right her wrongs.

I have become a letter writer over the past few years thanks to a new friend, whose main form of correspondence is through letters. I actually love it- so old fashioned, but so gratifying.

I am so grateful to my GR friends Diane B, Angela and Bianca, whose enthusiastic reviews pushed this book up my cue!

Published: 2025

[Sloan MacDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear Sybil, I unfortunately found myself not giving a fuck about any of this. With the warmest regards, Sloan.

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epistolary Fiction: An interesting window into a life...

Our protagonist, Sybil Van Antwerp, has much to say in her correspondence with family, friends, acquaintances, and even people she has never met. She's a mother, grandmother, divorcée, prestigious lawyer, and a septuagenarian who struggles with aging and mortality. She never holds back, uses wisdom and experience to get her point across, and when all else fails, her snarkiness slips in.

Sybil Van Antwerp is mostly an acquired taste...

I inhaled this lovely book in three emotionally charged sittings. I laughed and cried, shouted in my head, and spent time staring off in space, thinking about my life and remembering the past. I didn't want this book to end, and the two times I set it down, I couldn't wait to dig back in. And who, in their right mind, can resist a story that references books throughout?

An immersive read, the audiobook has a multicast narration bringing the characters to life and delivering authenticity and uniqueness to each correspondence. Trust me, it's a memorable experience.

The Correspondent, at its core, focuses on the power of human connection through Sybil's correspondence. It also explores themes of regret and forgiveness, family and belonging, and discovering solace and happiness late in life. This is beautifully written and creative storytelling using the epistolary narrative and format. An impressive debut, and I look forward to what's next from Virginia Evans!

5⭐

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a quiet, introspective read and The Correspondent was pure perfection!

Epistolary novels are quite tricky however Virginia Evans masterfully pulls it off. Centered around Sybil who on the surface is a well mannered, sharp tongued septuagenarian, and learning about her complexities, as well as her backstory was such a wonderful experience. Her growth as a character made her unforgettable

I adored Sybil’s love of reading, and her correspondence with some of my favorite authors, such as Ann Patchett, Joan Didion, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Larry McMurtry, was just the icing on the cake!

As you can see, I could go on and on about how much I loved The Correspondent so I'll keep it short and just say that I highly recommend it!

I listened to the audiobook format which is read by a full cast, Maggi-Meg Reed, Jane Oppenheimer, Carly Robins, Jeff Ebner, David Pittu, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Mark Bramhall, Petrea Burchard, Robert Petkoff, Kimberly Farr, Cerris Morgan-Moyer, Peter Ganim, and Jade Wheeler. If you decide to pick this one up, I highly recommend this format!

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans was published on April 29, 2025 so it’s available now. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook and to Crown Books for the gifted copy!

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked reading about the life and perspective of a 78-year-old woman, as older people’s voices are often underrepresented in literature. The Correspondent contained moving themes related to grief, physical illness and decline, and how relationships stay or fray over time. I appreciated that Sybil was an imperfect protagonist; she felt real, which made many of the subplots even more poignant (e.g., vision loss, her layers of loss, the pleasure she finds in reading and writing her friends and family).

Unfortunately the epistolary format was a little dull for me. Especially the first half I found the writing monotonous and one-note. Still giving the book 3.5 stars because of how it captures aging and what love and loss can look like as one gets older.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful work of art. I’ll never forget this book, my heart was broken a few different times and I cried. It’s wonderful on audio — highly recommend listening versus reading.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sybil Van Antwerp is the correspondent, a blunt, arch septuagenarian living alone in Annapolis, writing letters at her desk to family, friends, and celebrated authors like Joan Didion and Kazuo Ishiguro. Moreover, she writes to personnel at a DNA lab (Sybil was adopted, and she’s ambivalent about the biological search), editors of newspapers, a struggling kid, her garden club, and a Dean of English of a university that won’t let her audit a class. Even at age 73, Sybil has some growing to do; she’s quick to give advice and analyze others, but she can also be cagey and stubborn and even avoidant about her own thorny issues.

Epistolary novels unfold in small reveals. Sybil is also sly--to give up secrets by her pen while still tucking them away under layers of onionskin. This novel is intimate and telling. I was immediately drawn into Sybil’s life—all the missives were either to or from her, and each one a joy to read.

Sybil is a mother and grandmother—a divorced, retired attorney and former Chief clerk for a successful judge, a keen reader of literature, and ardent gardener. Her daughter, Fiona, is an architect, living in Sydney. We hear Sybil’s feelings rather pointedly about that long-distance daughter. The friction is apparent in Sybil’s letters to her best friend, Rosalie. She pulls no punches when it comes to expressing her feelings and opinions toward others. She gets along fine with her son, Bruce.

Daan, her ex-husband, is Belgian, and he returned to Bruges after the divorce (by the way, do visit Bruges, it is lovely!!!!). Early on, we learn that Sybil and Daan had a son, Gilbert, who died as a young boy. Sybil’s scrappiness about other subjects doesn’t extend to Gil; it is evident that she hides her deepest moments of anguish under her nostalgic memories. I sensed a stabbing of unresolved pain, a nondisclosure threatening to unravel her tightly knitted history.

Every word that Sybil writes (mostly in written letters, a few necessary emails) is germane to the secrets and falsehoods that she is itching to unburden herself from, at least that’s my take on it. Persnickety and persistent, Sybil is alternately shrewd and naïve, sometimes both at once! She also refuses to travel, even to visit Fiona. Suffering from an unnamed disease, Sybil knows that she will inevitably go blind. She only shares that with a few select people, but her nuclear family is unaware.

I read this book in two days, I was so absorbed. A little suspense is thrown in when Sybil receives menacing letters from an anonymous writer and we also read letters she writes to an unknown source (not difficult to figure out). The themes are both of solace and isolation, family and grief, and, perhaps my favorite, healing through literature.

Writing to Larry McMurtry after reading Lonesome Dove for the third time. “I am an old woman and my life has been some strange balance of miraculous and mundane.” Regarding the ending of LD and the bitter disappointment of the characters: “What I had seen those years ago as a lack of mercy became to me a presence of… courage—to hurt them! To leave them in dismay! It was courageous because it was unbearable but it was true…” At the end, I held my heart in my hands.

Virginia Evans, may I write you a letter?

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you need to put aside and reread in the future to appreciate the little landmines the author has buried here and there.



I requested this ARC because Sybil was a lawyer - but she was more of a "think tank" as opposed to an active litigator. At one point she declares that she loved the law because it was so black and white. Ah, I beg to differ: no, it isn't - and never was, or will be. For every air tight piece of legislation, there is case law that proves the exception to that rule. Hard cases make bad law, and in the British Commonwealth our own revered Lord Denning (a High Court of Appeal judge, and holder of many other prestigious legal offices) often contradicted his own previous decisions. It's all about interpretation in the end - and whether you can convince the presiding judge to see it your way on any given day in court! But I digress....



Sybil Van Antwerp (nee Stone) worked in the background, acting as her senior partner's research arm. When Guy Donnelly became a judge, she followed him to court and served as his clerk. Many clerks go on to open their own successful practices and eventually seek appointment to the bench themselves, but Sybil never sought out the judicial limelight, and she retired when Guy Donnelly did. They were a team and the practice of law held no appeal for her without him. Spoiler alert: There is a sub-plot involving a criminal matter where the defendant's family sought Sybil out during the trial and pleaded for leniency. Sybil's feelings of wrongdoing in this case baffled me. The man was clearly guilty, and the fact that his young family would suffer if he went to jail was beside the point. And yet Sybil felt she behaved wrongly.... that she had allowed the sword of Damocles to fall onto the hapless (but guilty) defendant when a word from her could have spared him? Ah, no, he was going to jail, regardless, having been caught "red-handed" and "in the driver's seat" as we like to say. There was no "get out of jail free" card possible in this organized crime case. I'm STILL scratching my head over this one.....



I did enjoy the various letters she wrote to authors (Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry), as well as to a film director (George Lucas), and several other famous persons. (That Sybil got feedback from all of these celebrities in this story was a huge bonus! Loved reading those responses!) When Sybil is romanced by not one but TWO eligible swains, this long, rambling epistolary tale got really interesting for me.



And who were all those "Unsent" letters addressed to? I suspected for a while that it was to her ex-husband, Daan, or her former legal partner, Guy, but, toward the end, spoiler alert: I was almost sure they were to her dead son, Gill.

Sybil was a force to be reckoned with, even though she was battling blindness. She eventually learned to conquer her fears and in the final chapter of her life, she traveled and had more than one second chance at love. And the evolution of her friendship with young, deeply troubled Harry Landy, and his numerous trials and tribulations.... those were the highlights of this story for me. (The closing comment in one of his letters almost brought me to tears.)



I'm rating this rambling story told through a series of often engaging letters a 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded down to a 4 because NetGalley and Goodreads do not permit half points. My thanks to the author, Virginia Evans, her publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Panic!_at_the_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written entirely in letter format. Every piece of writing comes from or to the FMC. Our MC is a septuagenarian who realizes she is quite lonely. She also seeks resolutions to previous regrets and current problems.

In a way, this book reminds me of Sipsworth, which was about an old lady and her pet mouse. I found Sipsworth to be more moving and interesting overall.

The letter writing is interesting as the reader doesn’t know the truth about many things until they get through all the letters. In this way, the reader may propel through the material to get to the story quicker.

That said, this book, while easy-to-read, was lacking a more substantial storyline. While truly heartbreaking occurrences plague the MC, since everything is delivered to the reader via letter, I had a really challenging time connecting with most characters. The letter format somewhat stalls the reader from diving deeper, and the story may have been stronger with a mix of narratives and letters.

3.5 rounded up.