The Correspondent
The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans
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About the Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as “A cause for celebration”—an intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love.
“Masterful is the pace at which Evans fills in the blanks of her protagonist’s life.”—Frank Bruni, The New York Times
“I cried more than once as I witnessed this brilliant woman come to understand herself more deeply.”—Florence Knapp, author of The Names
LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE AND THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL • A PBS TOP SUMMER BOOK • LIBRARYREADS PICK OF THE MONTH
“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.
About the Author
Virginia Evans is from the east coast of the United States. She
attended James Madison University for her bachelor’s in English
literature, as well as Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, for her master’s of philosophy in creative writing. Now she lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with her husband, two children, and her Red Labrador, Brigid.
Editorial Reviews
“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
“The Correspondent is at turns amusing and, poignant and ultimately, a pleasure to read. This moving novel unfurls its truths one letter at a time, filling in a complex and memorable picture of one woman’s life. Like a handwritten letter at its best, The Correspondent is meant to be savored.” —Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
“This novel is a complete and utter joy.” —Ann Napolitano
“Evans’s enchanting epistolary novel revolves around prickly septuagenarian Sybil Van Antwerp . . . [with] a dash of mystery that keeps the pages flying.” —The Washington Post
“The charming debut from Evans takes the form of letters and emails exchanged by a divorced and retired woman with her friends, family, foes, and literary idols. . . . the detailed connections between each character are brilliantly mapped through the correspondence. It adds up to an appealing family drama.” —Publishers Weekly
“The circus of beautifully drawn characters, who receive and respond to Sybil’s letters, is vibrant and rich. Sybil has survived trauma, grief, and lost love. The letters are so deliciously crafted, Sybil’s life itself becomes a work of art.” —Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
“I finished this wonderful, wonderful book in tears, and had to take a moment—several moments—to pull myself together. . . . Equal parts sorrow and quiet joy, the stuff of life, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you reflect, as all the best novels do.” —Fran Littlewood, New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams
“I can’t praise it enough. Sybil is such a wonderful character, and the supporting cast so vivid and real. For a book about grief and regret it was also properly funny. It’s an absolute triumph.” —Clare Chambers, bestselling author of Small Pleasures and Shy Creatures
“Thank you, Virginia Evans, for a life beautifully told in letters, for creating a character whose mind struggles with her heart in a most intriguing, sympathetic, witty, and binge-worthy way.” —Elinor Lipman, author of Ms. Demeanor
“The Correspondent is the rarest of debuts with not a misplaced word or beat missed. Moving, funny and exquisite, it is a masterpiece in human frailty.” —Anne Griffin, #1 Irish bestselling author of When All Is Said
“What a lovely novel, I fell in love with the eloquent, stubborn Sybil, such a wonderful character.” —Margot Livesey, New York Times bestselling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy and The Road from Belhaven
“Charming, engrossing, and deeply moving, Evans’s novel explores the way everyday choices and relationships shape a life and shows it’s never too late to form new connections, make amends, or even fall in love.” —Booklist