The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
What a wonderful book! I’ve always loved epistolary novels, and this one reminded me why. The Correspondent is beautifully written, moving, and full of heart. I felt such a strong connection to Sybil I honestly wish she were real so I could write to her. I especially loved the letters she sent to real-life writers like Larry McMurtry and Joan Didion, and the fact that she received replies was just magical. This book made me want to start writing letters again. A quiet, powerful gem.

Sybil Van Antwerp prefers to correspond with people through the written word. A mother, grandmother, wife, divorcée, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a full life.

I'm very impressed by this epistolary novel. To my mind it's a most unusual presentation of a work of fiction. I got so caught up in Sybil's life that I had a hard time putting my Kindle down. Sybil will write to anyone at the drop of a hat and I was wishing I could develop a correspondence with her. Her communications are well written and lucid. I liked how Sybil would tell a recipient what she's currently reading and ask 'What are you reading?'. Amongst the letters to and from her brother, her friends, her children, various authors, and others, are a number of "unsent" pages of a letter and we're left wondering who the recipient is until the end. Just an amazing piece of literature that I highly recommend although it probably won't be to everyone's taste. I'll definitely be watching for whatever Virginia Evans does next.

Thank you to Crown Publishing, via Netgalley, for approving my request to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: April 29, 2025

Sybil is 78 and has been a letter-writer since she was 9. She writes to her brother, her best friend, even to famous authors (who actually write her back!) and this epistolary novel tells quite a story of her life. She was a lawyer, a wife, a mother, a friend, active in her garden club and in her own yard, and just a very busy person. However there is more to her life than what she really wants to reveal, yet slowly we come to know the real Sybil through her letters. Sometimes there is a hard shell covering up what we don't want others to know about and we especially don't want to think about in our own life.

This book pleasantly surprised me and touched me! I do enjoy a good epistolary novel and this one surely did not disappoint. I highly recommend this one!

My thanks to Net Galley and Crown Publishing for an advanced copy of this e-book.

Mesmerizing. Unique. “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans is about Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired 70-year-old woman who dedicates her days to writing to others, ranging from her children to famous authors.

Told entirely through letters and emails, this debut novel is an intimate look at the correspondences Sybil has over several years. Despite her age, she embarks on new adventures and expands her inner circle. The book does a great job of exploring dashes of grief and guilt while still being witty and entertaining.

Letter writing is such a rarity in this day and age and I treasure those I do have (particularly a handful from my Pappy who passed away last year). I love that it’s a way to preserve our lives on paper and stay in touch with those far away.

Thanks @crownpublishing and @virginia.l.evans for the NetGalley ARC (out now)!

The Correspondent is a delightful, redemptive epistolary novel told in letters and emails over the course of a decade or so. In her 70s, Sybil has dealt with a lot of heartache in her life, including the death of a child, but she has always written letters and it is through her correspondence that she deals with her feelings. We get letters to strangers (including authors, customer service representatives, and college deans) as well as to family and friends, and through these letters, we get to know and love Sybil. This lovely novel is about the power of connection and the ability to change over time. I loved it and can't wait for more people to read it!

WOW!! I absolutely loved so much about this book. The formatting of the book began a touch confusing (read on Kindle), but the compilation of notes, letters, emails, CORRESPONDENCE, was unique and lent to the storyline. I did not like the MC towards the beginning, but as more was revealed, I found her endearing and imperfect. A book of great substance. I immensely enjoyed this book and would recommend.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

If you enjoy epistolary novels, I urge you to pick up "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans. Told exclusively through letters from and to Sybil Van Antwerp, we learn the story of a life which includes being adopted, losing a child, divorce, work issues, new love, struggles with siblings and adult children, and finally reconciliation.
Sybil is a prolific letter writer - it is her preferred method of communication - to everyone! Sybil writes family members, friends, famous authors, employees, and through her letters you get a peak at her life, her fears, and her guilt.
I found myself getting really angry with Sybil over her inability to communicate directly with those she loved, but in the end, I enjoyed the journey of getting to know her. While reading the letters, you discover that Sybil is going blind - which makes her frantic letter writing even more important. Loved the Annapolis and Maryland settings, too.

Virginia Evans book THE CORRESPONDENT was that rare book that felt as if my alternative self might have lived the story of the mid-life woman who has a lifelong habit of writing letters turned on its head when a letter arrives for her and upsets an orderly, staid, pleasant enough existence. I related to the woman. Her quiet habits and reflections are pleasures to read as was this entire, quiet and shattering story. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

I love a unique storytelling perspective, and that's what these letters were. I especially loved that it was a blend of letters to/from loved ones, as well as letters to authors. I loved how much story was conveyed and how Sybil's character was built through the story. This is one that was an emotional read as secrets and truths were revealed, but so beautifully told through its letters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this April 2025 release!

♡ Thank you for the free ARC, Crown Publishing and NetGalley.

Take all of my stars, author Virginia Evans! Wow, what a debut and memorable epistolary novel. I pre-ordered a copy for my home library promptly after finishing the ARC since it touched my heart. I love a story with a mature and feisty main character. Although Sybil was flawed and I wished she had handled a few things differently, I found her very human and relatable, which is what left me in tears. This book had so much depth, with themes that include communication, loneliness, identity, aging, mental health, trauma, healing, and forgiveness. This is one that I will be thinking about for some time.

I wish I could remember how I first learned of this book because I’d like to give them credit for bringing me a five star read! This was my most anticipated book of the month and it absolutely delivered. It checked so many of my boxes: epistolary novel, debut author, brought me to tears.

73 year old Sybil Van Antwerp starts most days at her writing desk, penning letters to her brother, friends, even famous authors. Through the correspondence we learn so much about Sybil’s life - her family, her heartache, her literary preferences. Despite seeming set in her ways, we see growth and softening of Sybil throughout the letters. I dare you to read this and not cry.

Gorgeous novel! I don't normally go for the epistolary genre, but here it was absolutely perfect.
We get the bits about Sybil's life that weave together a great story, and everything that is missing may not be so important for the narrative.
A wonderful read and a refreshing format.

Thank you, NetGalley and Crown Publishing, for providing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. The book is out on April 29.

Absolutely adored this book and I'm so glad NetGalley recommended it to me.
This is the story of Sybil Van Antwerp, told through her letters, email and other various correspondence through her entire life. Sybil writes letters to everyone, her children, her best friend, favorite authors, a young pen pal, her neighbors, etc.
There is one letter that she never sends and through these unsent missives you can really gather who Sybil is and how, although older, you're never too old to change. A life well-lived and a woman well-loved.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Crown for this digital e-arc.*

I'm generally not a fan of epistolary novels, but the summary of this one intrigued me.
Alas, I was not a huge fan. Though the writing was engaging, I did not care for Sybil. Furthermore, it was at times confusing who was writing which letter.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Correspondent gives a peek into Sybil Van Antwerp's life through the letters she sends and received. It's a quiet, thoughtful book that will work for a lot of people. The writing is solid and introspective. Sybil is a compelling character who is figuring out how to navigate various life events.

But it didn't work for me. I spent much of the book confused - we don't always know who is writing a letter until pages later, the letters are not chronological (so you have to really pay attention to dates), and it seems like we don't always get to read all correspondence.

The Correspondent ended up being an unexpected pleasure for me. When I first started reading it, I was a bit dismayed that I was not enjoying the epistolary format, although the letters were written in such a way that they maintained a cohesive narrative and developed the main character's personality very well. However, about a quarter of the way through this novel, I became fascinated by how much I was enjoying the letters and looking forward to them as much as if they were written to me. I think the emotional context of this book is masterful, and the character's continual development incredibly engaging. I highly recommend this book to anyone who often ponders the events and mysteries in their lives that have shaped them in the past and continue to shape them in the present and future. Older readers may enjoy it more than younger ones, but there are certainly many lessons for anyone who reads this book. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC of this book. It quickly became one of my favorites!

Thank you Crown Publishing for this arc.

I love a good epistolary novel and this is a chef’s kiss of one. It is beautiful and painful. At times I wanted to shake Sybil but I also understand her a bit and know a few people like her.

It takes a little while to get settled into Sybil’s life and be able to easily follow who is writing to her and to whom she is writing. These characters have flaws and scars. They’ve made mistakes, been misunderstood, have suffered from the actions of others, and all of them felt real to me. Through these letters and occasionally emails (though Sybil prefers old fashioned pen and paper correspondence) we see past, present and future.

Sybil is smart but also stubborn and set in her ways at times. In the book, she writes several letters to authors many of whom write back to her. In one she tells Larry McMurtry that on rereading “Lonesome Dove” (for the third time), in her old age she now sees that McMurtry had the courage to do awful things to his characters. Well, some awful things get revealed about Sybil – especially in regards to her daughter and her best friend/SIL. She has hurt people and it takes her a long time to truly realize it and deal with the consequences.

Often Sybil acts with defensiveness in the face of some accusations. Few people can avoid this instinctive reaction and in Sybil this can turn into somewhat self righteous lashing out. But writing her the way she’s been written took guts and I think makes her a character with depth. When she finally faces past actions and tells some secrets, the impact is all the more forceful and powerful.

I had a feeling about to whom Sybil was writing her long, unfinished letter. The revelations about this character are wrenching.


We don’t see everything about all the threads of Sybil’s writing. But there’s enough there to follow the flow of these lives. There are things that Sybil writes or does that might cause readers to flinch. She can be intolerant. I paused a time or two but kept going and was rewarded with Sybil’s eventual self reflection and character growth. She does apologize for a lot of things that her belief in black or white, cut and dried, right or wrong led her to do. But I didn’t feel that she copped out or just made a gesture to soothe troubled waters as this is definitely something I don’t think she could ever do. It’s just not in her nature.

Readers might, at times, have to grit their teeth at Sybil. Her realization of past wrongs she’s done and willingness to make amends is, at times, decades in the making. She has reasons for her feelings and personality. Her achievement of grace is a moving thing to read. Sybil won’t be for everyone, I’ll be honest about that. Yet once I fell into her life, I was hooked. B+

Oh dear. I was bored.

Listen, I usually applaud creative storytelling methods. I often enjoy epistoliary stories told through letter writing and correspondence.

But I did not like Sybil, and I soon tired of reading her letters.

There was some drama. There was some intrigue. But nothing that kept my interest.

"You get the one life. It's awfully unfair, isn't it?"

Oh I love an epistolary novel! Sybil starts each morning sitting down to her desk for her correspondence - whether it’s writing letters to her best friend/sister in law or to an author whose work touched her.

I loved learning about Sybil’s life through the letters she shared. This is a book about grief and love and family and forgiveness. I would definitely recommend. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ebook.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful story, which the author has uniquely and refreshingly crafted through the letter writing of our main character, 70-something Sybil. Since childhood, Sybil has faithfully written letters - to friends, family, authors, and anyone she has a gripe with. Now that she is retired and alone, this routine is a lifeline and a major routine in her days. Over the course of the book, we come to know Sybil's life story, her relationships, her personality, her hopes and fears, and her regrets.
This book is both heartwarming and bittersweet. Just lovely!
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy.