Member Reviews

The Correspondent gives us a portrait of Sybil Van Antwerp, a 73-year-old woman who has long relied on letters to make sense of her world. Retired from a distinguished career in law, divorced, and now navigating the quiet solitude of her years, Sybil's life has settled into a reliable rhythm. Each morning, she writes letters to everyone from her brother and best friend to authors she admires, as well as an adoring neighbor, a troubled teen, and individuals who can never quite meet her demands. These letters are not just communication—they are Sybil's way of processing the past, connecting with the present, and sometimes, resisting the future. Through these letters we get a subtle and tender exploration of Sybil's life, her passions, her regrets, and her grief.

The format of this novel allows Evans to create a narrative that feels intimate, like reading someone’s private thoughts, while also providing a vehicle to explore universal themes of aging, loneliness, and the desire for connection.

While slower paced and not particularly plot-heavy, The Correspondent is undeniably a thoughtful meditation on the passage of time and the ways in which we seek meaning and redemption. Sybil’s journey is one of gradual transformation that lingers with you—a bittersweet reflection on how we make sense of our lives and the connections we maintain through the written word.

ARC provided by NetGalley

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The book was amazing. I loved the format and how the stories are told through letters written from various perspectives and different characters. By the end I was so invested in Sybil Van Antwerp life I couldn’t stop reading!

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3.5 stars rounded up to 4

The Correspondent is a beautifully subtle exploration of life, loss, and change told through the letters of Sybil Van Antwerp, a 73-year-old woman navigating her golden years. As a retired lawyer, mother, and grandmother, Sybil’s days are punctuated by writing letters to friends, to family, to authors she admires, and even to the president of her university. Her letters serve as both an anchor and a lens for making sense of her world.

What sets this novel apart is its unique structure, unfolding through these personal correspondences. It’s a slow burn, but one that captures the depth of Sybil’s internal life and the pain of long-buried memories. When letters from the past begin to resurface, Sybil is forced to confront an emotional chapter she thought she had long left behind.

The Correspondentis a gem, both heartfelt and introspective, with moments of humor and warmth. At times, the pacing felt slow, but the novel’s thoughtful prose and unique narrative style make it a compelling read. I found myself torn between a 3 and a 4 rating, landing somewhere in the middle with a solid 3.5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown for providing me with the opportunity to read this. The book will be available in May 2025. It’s a story for anyone who believes in the power of letters, the passage of time, and the possibility of unexpected change.

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As someone who has always loved both writing letters and reading books, this novel struck a chord. The epistolary format was extremely well done. While at the start Sybil is full of regret and essentially ready to die, as her story progresses, she discovers reasons to live. A unique, gem of a book.

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The Correspondent by Vivian Evans is a wonderful character-driven epistolary debut.

Sybil is in her 70’s, and for the most part she is alone and going blind slowly. She a bit of a curmudgeon, but young or old, that’s just her personality..The story of Sybil’s life is told through letters and emails she sends and receives. There are many subplots, but they are not hard to follow pr connect.

One facet I really enjoyed in this book is that Sybil is a reader and she often writes authors. There are many good authors and books mentioned throughout. I felt the book had depth, and it was the perfect length. This one will go on my recommendation shelf..

Content does contain grief, especially concerning child loss.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this amazing ARC.

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I really liked that this book is told through letters. I came to love Sybil and I liked learning about her family.
I liked learning about her past and how it led to where she is now. I liked her family and the relationships she has with her neighbors.
We see her connect and gain forgiveness from a client who she had wronged.
A lovely read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

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As a lover of curmudgeon based books, as well as letter writing, I looked forward to this novel. Sybil was both charming and a bit horrific - reminded me of a difficult family member who sometimes has no boundaries in sharing their judgement/opinion, so that aspect was a bit tough to read, but overall I enjoyed the humor and heart of this book and will definitely pick up this author's work in the future.

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From GoodReads:

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown for an E-ARC of this book set to publish in May.

This book touched my soul quite frankly. I am a physiotherapist and I have a PhD in geriatric rehab and so have spent my career growing close to older adults and this book so eloquently spoke to some of the trials and tribulations that are so real after living a long life.

This quote hit me:
“Oh that we could have the wisdom of age earlier!”

This book truly reflected on the complicated weight of grief and missed experiences. Sybil’s life was slowly unearthed through a series of letters that spoke right to her heart.

Another quote from the book I just loved and really speaks to the written word:
“It takes patience to say exactly what one means, to think of the right word”

Overall, this book was beautiful. I really enjoyed it and am so excited for others to be able to read this beautiful work

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This character study is presented entirely through letters. Sent in 2012, Sybil's days seem filled with writing to not just friends, family and acquaintances, but authors as well. Sybil comes alive through her cheeky, opinionated letters. Unfortunately, the style and narrative did not hold my interest, and I put it down at 10% completed because I had trouble keeping the recipients and events untangled in my brain. I can see how the book holds appeal for fans of epistolary novels and literary fiction, because of all the allusions throughout.

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I loved this epistolary style novel. We never meet the MC directly, but rather the reader gets to know her through the letters she writes and sometimes receives. The MC ponders her life, reflects on old wrongs/hurts, and tries to mend fences all the while contending with a degenerative eye condition. The format is charming, and engaging. I highly recommend this book!

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While this story did have some great points, what I mostly felt was sad. This is the story of a woman who mostly seems to think about herself, and while she does change over the course of the years she is writing these letters, it felt to me like Sybil was one of those older people who are too set in their ways, and refuse to change with the world around them. The ones who say what they want even if it's rude, who are racist but possibly slightly apologetic about it, and who will help friends but also want to criticize them for their problems. The book was a fast read and it wasn't all bad, but I've spent too much time around people just like Sybil to want to hang around with her.

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Virginia Evans' The Correspondent is a beautiful and heartfelt novel, told through a series of letters, that explores the life of Sybil Van Antwerp, a woman with a strong will and a lifetime of stories to share. Sybil isn't always the easiest person to like, but watching her grow and find redemption through her reflections makes her feel so real and relatable. The relationships in this book, especially between Sybil and her dear friend, are written with such honesty that it truly touched me. Evans' writing captures the heart and mind, and the letter format brings a special, intimate feeling to the story. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who appreciates thoughtful, character-driven novels.

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What a warm, unexpected, and delightful book. I just finished, and wish I could go back and discover it all over again. It’s a collection of letters that tells the story of one woman’s significant career, family, heartbreaks, and losses, along with the surprising ways she finds to keep moving forward in her life. So thought provoking, all the ways we look fine and pulled together on the inside, easy to categorize, and yet inside we are so complex. It’s a wonder. I’m at a loss for how to describe this book without giving too much away, so I’ll let it be enough to say that I am so very glad to have read it, and I look forward to more from this author. Highly, highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for me to review.

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What a delightful book! Told through a series of sometimes serious and sometimes quirky letter and email correspondence, the reader, is completely drawn into septuagenarian Sybil Van Antwerp's world. I must confess that while I didn't find Sybil likable at first, I found the book remarkable. There other cast of characters are realistic, interesting, wonderful, and fallible. By the end of the story, I could say the same about the sometimes rude, often eccentric Sybil. The redemptive arc is unexpected and well crafted. I found this story stayed with me long after I set the book down. I highly recommend The Correspondent by author Virginia Evans to women readers, aged 40 plus who enjoy a quick yet thoughtful read with realistic characters and a surprise twist.

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I very rarely give a book 5 stars.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans was a solid 5 star read for me.

I will admit, when I realized the format of the entire book was letters (with a few emails thrown in),
I was dubious. A lifetime of a story coming together through letter writing to various people?
I was sure this was going to be a very quick DNF for me.

I could not have been more wrong!

Sybil. Our Correspondent.
Sybil is a strong, opinionated, stubborn, headstrong, independent woman.
She is also in the "Winter" of her life, looking back at life-changing events.
Here and there, we get a hint of one event that occurred when she was a young wife/mother that molded her personality and some of her relationships for the rest of her life.

I loved Sybil.
Brazen. Bold. Opinionated. Strong.
I spent most of the book wishing I could be more like Sybil.

Other times I thought, "I'm glad I'm not like Sybil!"

Through reading the letters that Sybil is currently writing, we get a sense of her life as an older woman, facing new challenges of aging.

She writes to anyone and everyone she feels the need to communicate with. For whatever reason.
I absolutely adored the correspondence with authors and famous Hollywood personalities.
Sybil knew no limits to her expectation of not only having her letter received and read, but also fully expected a response. And I'll be darned if she didn't receive them.

Through her letter writing, we also see Sybil's turmoil.
We see this stubborn, headstrong woman soften.
We see her dig deep into herself for reflection.
We get to experience a remarkable change in her heart, after a lifetime of a self-confessed "hardness".

I think my favorite letter exchange was with her best friend.
Those letters were the epitome of what a real friendship should be.
Two women able to tell it like it is; "tell each other off", and come out stronger than ever.

I loved this feisty woman.
I am thrilled to have been privy to a lifetime of her correspondence.
The side stories of family, and romance at an advanced age, were just heart warming.

This one is in my top 5 lifetime favorite stories; and I've read a lot of books in my 61 years.

I recommend this book at anyone who just wants to settle in with a fabulous story, told in a very unique way.
The depth of the characters and overall story were just so enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This one was a winner!
I can't wait to see more of what this author can weave!

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I would never have expected to be so blown away by a novel told in letters! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and could not put it down! You will laugh, you will cry, you will commiserate, and there are also moments that are so sweet and heartwarming you will want to start writing letters at once!

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In this beautifully written epistolary novel, Virginia Evans brings no nonsense septuagenarian Sybil Van Antwerp to life.

Through 8 years of Sybil’s letters, we learn about her deepest feelings, her secrets (stones), and the indelible impact she made on the lives of those in hers. There are themes of grief, working mom guilt, life regrets, and a bit of romance. The depth of human emotion had me laughing out loud and crying real tears.

It is rare to find a character who loves reading and sharing that passion with others. Her glowing reviews of several books have given me an even longer list of books to read.

Sybil has inspired me to get out my stationary and pen and start writing letters.

With character development as rich as Elizabeth Strout and Fredrik Backman, this novel is not to be missed. It would provide for an engaging discussion for a wide audience of book clubs. I look forward to reading it again and discussing with many of my family and friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Virginia Evans for graciously providing an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I'm going to be honest, I almost DNR'd this book. I really liked how it was letters to everyone, but sometimes I got confused how who was who. I am so glad that I finished this book because there are a variety of different meanings you can get from this book. We never really know what each person is going through or why people do certain things, BUT it's not for us to determine. It's our job to love them either way. The ending was sad, but I love how everything came together.

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Such a super unique story, written well and such a fun read I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with the story, the characters and couldn’t find a flaw in it at all- except that I can’t read it for the first time again! A book that makes you think.. which is always a great thing.

Would rate this 10/10 if I could.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this phenomenal story in exchange for my honest review!

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Absolutely in love with this debut from Virginia Evans. It's not on goodreads yet, so I'll remind you later in the year when it publishes in May!

★★★★★

Follow Sybil through a series of letters as she moves through life, healing old wounds, discovering new ones. Letters that bring happiness, discovery and sadness.

Enjoy Virginia's love story to letter writing, heartbreak and hope.

Let me get this out of the way people, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK.

Virginia Evans made me want to write a letter, to someone, to HER!, so bad it hurt.

I felt an unexplainable connection to Sybil. Did she remind me of my own grandma, maybe? It also felt like something else, something more. I loved the way Sybil was presented to the readers.

She was wrong, she was emotional and she was lost. All of these characteristics are what made her real. She wasn't this perfect, letter writing, old lady who lived this astonishing life... she had her own hauntings, her own holes she dug with past relationships. A lady that always presented that she could find the words for every situation to put beautifully structured into a perfectly written letter sometimes faltered. And THAT'S what I loved about her.

Of course, she was amazing. She overcame so much in her life. She was a hero to a lot of people. Selfless to some, selfish to others.

She was so complex and that's life! You'll get both sides of the coin. A grief that takes you down, but life goes on. Most importantly, life can still be happy.

What is even more amazing, is I took all of these feelings, life lessons and takeaways from the subtext of letters. I'm so impressed with Evans writing. The way she conveyed a story that I, as a reader, was able to imagine and create a world in my head.

I cannot say enough good things about this story. As Sybil would have suggested, I should have sat with my thoughts a bit longer to string my words together in a more concise and meaningful way. But take my love-word-vomit as a recommendation that if you love letters, stationary, writing, if the pen you pick up matters ... you'll fall in love with this book as much as I have.

Note: this book is not on goodreads yet, which makes me sad.

Amazon Link - The Correspondent By: Virginia Evans

Stats: 304 pages - First published May 6, 2025

*** Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and of course the author, Virginia Evans, for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publishing May 6, 2025.

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