I loved the style of seeing the world through the letters and emails of the main character, Sybil. You learn so much about her and her relationships with others in a really interesting way.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This one was not for me.
You have a retired lawyer/law clerk that communicates only through correspondence. The idea of a correspondence led narrative was appealing. The storytelling was not organic and very fragmented. Some correspondence was answered in order and other wasn’t. There was not enough to connect the characters to the reader in a fluid manner. Sybil, the main character was contentious and off-putting, not likeable.
The substance and fluidity that I expect in a good story wasn’t there. This one just didn’t capture me as a reader or hold my attention. The story lacked cohesiveness. 1.5/5⭐
I would like to Thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this title.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is likely to be one of my most favorite books of 2025. I was drawn in by its older protagonist and epistolary format and stayed for the wide range of emotions and threads of mystery, romance, and suspense.

Sybil Van Antwerp conducts all of life’s interactions via written correspondence, primarily letters, notes, and emails. Whether she’s communicating with family, friends, customer service reps, or others, her pen and keyboard are her tools. I loved how her strong personality was first evident, but as the novel progressed, her vulnerabilities are revealed. I often mail cards and letters to friends and family so I felt a kinship with her.

I knew this novel was something special as I read it, and I continue to think about its characters and gain more appreciation for it every time I hear readers talk about it. I also enjoy its origin story, written in the author’s closet as a pandemic survival tactic, never expecting it to be published.

The novel has a large cast of characters so I kept notes to minimize confusion. I wish I hadn’t read it on Kindle as being able to easily flip a page or two to know the sender of some letters would have enhanced my reading experience. I almost never re-read, but I’m considering it, using the highly-praised full-cast audiobook while following along in a print copy.

Thank you to Crown Publishing for the review copy of this impactful story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. I must apologize for not reading this utterly charming debut novel sooner. I received it as an ARC, but just didn’t read it as I thought it would be slow. Told completely in the format of letters, I was not expecting anything fabulous. I was utterly wrong. Curmudgeonly Sybil is in her 80s. She lives alone in Maryland, but she is not lonely. She writes letters…many many letters. She sits at her desk in the morning with a cup of tea and writes to her far away children, to her pals, to neighbors, to customer service reps and even to famous authors. We also read the responses that Sybil receives. Slowly Sybil reveals in the letters that she has some troubling vision issues. She’s also grieving a long ago tragedy which truly tore her world apart. What a poignant & charming novel! Highly recommend this one! It’s about people and how we all connect to each other. It gave me a Man Called Ove vibes & I strongly suggest that you toss it in your beach bag. There’s still some summer left. Share it with Sybil! #books #whatiread #bookstagram #thecorrespondent #reading #bookgram #letters #whatsinyourbeachbag #goodreads #netgalley #sybilvanantwerp #bookworm #advancedreadercopy

A lovely story with a main character who writes letters daily who begins to examine a painful period in her life. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

4.5 stars

This book makes me want to get into writing letters and journaling.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is an epistolary novel about the fictional Sybil Van Antwerp, an octogenarian who details her life in the present day through letters and emails, while trying to reconcile tragic events from her past.

This book is a slow burn, and not plot heavy, so if that isn't your cup of tea, then this read isn't for you. However, if you love the art of writing and a skillfully done stream-of-consciousness writing style, then this book is for you.

Sybil Van Antwerp, at first glance, does not live a very remarkable life. In fact, in the present day timeline, she is a retiree that is the secretary of her garden club, an avid reader, and a pen pal of customer service representatives; all pretty stereotypical of a woman in her stage of life. However, the details of her past that haunt her and changed the course of her life are what make the story intriguing and captivating (as well as the endearing letters she pens to famous authors and Joan Didion).

A major trigger warning for this book is the in depth look at grief. The emotions and thoughts described are so raw that you can feel empathy for Sybil, even if you've never experienced grief personally.

Since this book isn't very plot heavy, it may be easy to forget what happens in it, but it's the heart behind the correspondence that makes Sybil an unforgettable character.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Correspondent is available everywhere now.

This was a lovely, funny, and touching book. Told all in letters and emails, we get to know 70-something Sybil, her life circumstances, and the people that have shaped her life. I was engaged from the beginning, came to love and root for Sybil, and I loved the way the plot was revealed through the letters. This book was also genuinely funny in parts! Although we only see Sybil through a collection of letters later in her life, she becomes so fully formed and multi-dimensional through them. Sybil's character felt so real to me and I loved how she was flawed but lovable, stubborn but willing to change her mind too. I loved how doggedly determined Sybil was and how her dedication to her correspondence made a difference to so many people across the web of her life.

This is novel was just not at all what I was expecting.

I didn’t expect it to be as propulsive as it was. Though several people had raved about it, I had no idea that I’d be racing through its pages, trying to put pieces together. Not unlike a Janice Hallett novel, honestly.

I also didn’t really grok how much I ‘d love our lead character, Sybil, who’s in her 70s. She’s so smart and had an illustrious career, which was fascinating to learn about. And Sybil is so sure of herself and her opinions. And forthright as the day is long. I guess you could even possibly describe her as a curmudgeon, but she’ s so much more nuanced that just that. She’s a whole person, doled out, laid out on these pages. As with the Janice Hallett novels, there’s this delicious feeling that you are reading something that is incredibly private and somehow you’ve gotten your hands on that. I don’t love the part of myself that relishes in this. But, there we are.

Virginia Evans has created in Sybil one of those fully wrought characters that you feel like you have known forever. And yes, you often want to smack them upside the head as they make decisions you know aren’t going to play out well, but you understand her, every step of the way. And love her for her flaws, and her valiant attempts to make her life right. She is always trying to learn, to be better, to connect, in all her fallible ways. The striving for it is so courageous to me.

And there’s this small through line of mystery in this novel I wasn’t expecting. This is of course not a mystery at all, but I love it when you get just a little side portion of something that makes you say “wait, what?” And then that plays out all through the novel, finally being masterfully threaded into the whole.

I’m not ashamed to say that I finished this book a teary mess. I was so gutted at the end. Not because it’s especially sad, but because I was so moved to have known Sybil and the long sweep of her life.

This book will absolutely be on my top 10 of the year, if not top 5. It was just exactly what my reading needed at the moment.

I loved this book. The Correspondent is a tender, intimate portrait of a woman’s relationships—past and present—told entirely through her letters and emails. It’s a deceptively simple premise, but Virginia Evans uses it to explore something much deeper: the complexities, contradictions, and frequent failures of human communication.

What moved me most was how the form mirrors the emotional texture of the story—what’s said, what’s left unsaid, and how connection can slip through the cracks even when people are reaching for each other. Through these fragments of correspondence, we get a vivid sense of her longing, her missteps, and her deep, quiet capacity for love.

It’s clever, melancholy, and beautifully constructed. Highly recommend.

In this unique and fascinating epistolary novel, readers follow the life of Sybil Van Antwerp as she must take stock of her life, including one of the most painful parts that she has pushed down and avoided. Having written letters her entire life to loved ones, friends, the president of a nearby university, and authors, Sybil has also written many letters to one person in particular but never sends them -- but, perhaps, the time has come to finally send it. As Sybil’s fascinatingly complex life is revealed to readers in this unique novel, readers will also discover how important this final letter is. Unique, fascinating, and insightful, this book’s engaging premise and structure will really pull readers into the story and reveal Sybil’s life story in a fascinating manner. The structure of the book really highlights the thought and emotion put into letters, which is a nice sentiment that adds to the depth of the book. The characters are well-written and develop in some interesting ways, and readers will love the differences between Sybil’s letters and the “real world.” Unique, fascinating, and entertaining, this emotional and thoughtful new book is a great and interesting new read that readers will enjoy.

I found this to be an interesting and new way to read a book. You learn about characters through letter's written to each other. I loved the characters but sometimes I didn't like the the main character. I laughed out loud in some parts and was sad during other parts. That is the art of letter writing, or should I say lost art. Good book by Virginia Evans. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Interesting book. I found the format of the book, all letters, to be creative, I had great difficulty connecting the characters and remembering who was who. The main character, the letter writer, seemed to be a complicated women with fascinating tales. Thanks #NetGalley

Easy 5⭐️ One of my favorite books of all time. I loved how complex Sybil was portrayed. Her arc was compelling. Fantastic debut!

This was a beautiful book. The author did such a good job of making the characters feel so real and the words dance around on the pages. I fell in love with the MC and I feel so much love for her. Thanks for writing such a beautiful book, it was such a pleasure to read.

A beautiful, captivating story told in such a unique fashion! I love how fresh this one felt. As someone who reads a lot, I'm always on the lookout for books that bring something new, and this one definitely achieved that for me! A great exploration of aging and self-realization. Highly recommend!

Another 5 star read for me! This year has been an excess of great novels. Loved this epistolary story about V and her life.

This book is ALL THE THINGS. I fell in love with Sybil, just like everyone will. I adore Harry and Theodore and even Mick. What a delightful story of how a life unfolds through letters. I love an epistolary title and this one is one of the best. I was particularly touched by the letter to Larry McMurtry and just wish it wasn't over so soon.

This is a brilliantly well written book, filled with a certain septuagenarian’s inner thoughts, musings and letters. Sybil Van Antwerp is old school, preferring to pen her thoughts to whomever she feels she needs to expound her thoughts, commentary, friendship, reminiscences. She is an artful writer and each letter was a small treasure. She is a master at a swiftly dying means of communication. How interesting to discover her life through her letters as each one reveals just a little more. Small in physical stature only, she is a giant in her epistolary work. “I am an old woman and my life has been some strange balance of miraculous and mundane.” Read her letters, discover her meaning, enjoy each gem.

While I was completely impressed by “The Correspondent” I was equally taken with the reviews of this book which have been extraordinary in their thoughtfulness. A million thanks to Crown and NetGalley for allowing me a copy of this wonderful book.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is a beautifully crafted novel that celebrates the written word and its power to connect individuals across time and space with a beautifully written letter by Sybil.

This was a beautiful read and if you love epistolary novels, do not skip this one! A compelling and rewarding read!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review in exchange for an honest review.

Written with empathy and wisdom, this debut epistolary novel was an easy five star read for me.

The protagonist, Sybil Van Antwerp, is a fiercely intelligent woman who is riddled with guilt and self-recrimination. She has now retired from a distinguished career in the law, is divorced, and is mother to two adult children. Her third child, Gilbert, died when he was only eight years old.

Many people today find the practice of letter writing to be antiquated. It is a practice whose popularity has all but waned. Sybil knows this, yet everyday she sits at her desk and pens letters. Over the years she has written thousands and thousands of missives to everyone from family and friends, to politicians, diplomats, and authors. She believes that “reaching out in correspondence is really one of the original forms of civility in the world.”

“People are just people. Famous or not.”

Sybil is an attractive septuagenarian who has two men vying for her attentions despite her age and diminutive stature. She says what she means, and tries to be genuine in all her communications. She is also losing her sight…

“Remember: words, especially those written, are immortal.”

The novel, written in the form of letters and emails, gives the reader an uncompromising glimpse into Sybil’s life, loves, regrets, guilt, and culpability. The tricky dynamics of family life, and the fact that Sybil was adopted as a child, play a significant role in the novel. Also, the complexities of nothing in life being black or white, but varying shades of grey.

Book lovers will rejoice in the fact that at the end of nearly every letter she writes, she tells her correspondent what she is reading and asks what they are reading.

In summation, “The Correspondent” was a novel written with skill and compassion. I’ll be eager to read more work by this talented author.