The Correspondent

If you enjoy epistolatory works, this is the apogee! In 2012, protagonist Sybil Van Antwerp is a 73 year old adoptee, divorcee, retired lawyer, mother, best friend, and a keeper of secrets. She has always been one to put words to paper, orders her stationery from London, and maintains a soothing ritual of never sending off a hasty missal, even as she corresponds (and even receives replies from) friends, family, and Joan Didion, Ann Patchett, and Larry McMurtry - two out of three being my favorite authors. Her divorce, her estrangement from her daughter, her two suitors, and the mysterious unsent letter in her drawer keep the reader enthralled and amused by her persnickety manner and jolted by what is revealed in the denouement. The show more pages turn at a rapid pace and all else goes undone as Sybil reveals all. Worthy of all the attention. show less

I had heard a lot of good things about The Correspondent and something made me decide to buy it just before its longlisting for this year’s Women’s Prize for fiction. It’s lovely to read a story made almost entirely of letters (the rest are emails) that is both gentle and impactful.

The protagonist is Sybil, a retired woman in her seventies. During her career she was formidable as a lawyer who then chose to clerk for a judge. She’s still as sharp as a tack and spends a part of every day writing letters. They might be to her brother in France, her neighbour, best friend or an author whose books she’s recently read. Initially it seems that Sybil’s life revolves initially around her letters, but as we read her correspondence show more over the years her world grows bigger and a great number of people rely on her for various things. Of course, there’s some small things (the debate amongst the local gardening club) but big things too (such as taking in a friend’s son during a hard time). She’s courted by not one, but two men and has a difficult relationship with her daughter that all blows up. Plus, there is someone writing threatening notes from her past and a secret that Sybil is not telling anyone yet.

As the letters progress between such a range of people (including Joan Didion), Sybil grows on the reader. She’s not as prickly as she makes out, but is very generous with her time with both old and young. Sybil’s fear and worries creep in gradually, making her more human to the reader as well as hoping that she gets things sorted – or at least tells someone! The subplot about her adoption and DNA kit is a nice way of demonstrating her vulnerability and generosity. Sybil is always willing to listen and help to anyone (idiots at the gardening club excluded). She’s a lovely character – prickly but strong, someone you’d always want in your corner.

The plot is deftly crafted between the different letters and correspondents and after the first few pages, the reader is immersed in Sybil’s world and it doesn’t feel like you’re missing a thing. Evans really gets into the voice of Sybil, creating a book that is both memorable and life affirming. It’s lovely to read a book that doesn’t rely on anything but the human condition to tell a story.

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THIS is how you write a book about an unlikeable character. (And of course, maybe other folks didn't find her unlikeable.) But I was *fascinated* by Sybil even though I kind of wanted to maneuver her down a well. And in the end, I felt like I understood her and saw how other characters in the book might like her. Evans did a great job with the epistolary format. This is probably a bit my time of life, but this one also got me weepy. Recommended, but do be aware there are strong themes of grief, child death, and elder decline.

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 show more 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. show less

Sybil Van Antwerp has been a diligent letter-writer since childhood. Now in her 70s, writing letters has become a daily ritual. Most of her letters are hand-written and are exchanged with family members, her lifelong best friend, the child of a former colleague, and authors whose books she has enjoyed. She uses email as a matter of necessity, but even then some of her correspondence has evolved beyond its initial purpose.

The reader gets to know Sybil through these letters, which unfold over nearly a decade. Her personality is immediately apparent: fiercely independent, headstrong, and set in her ways. But there’s much more to Sybil, and small details dropped into her letters slowly paint a more comprehensive picture that shows how show more life events shaped her. Sybil had a successful career as a law clerk for a prominent judge, unusual for a woman at the time. She married, had children, and divorced. She experienced tragedy and loss, and built a protective shell around herself to cope.

But several events take place that begin chipping away at Sybil’s shell and lead her into some entirely unforeseen places which made this novel both joyful and a tear-jerker. It’s impossible to describe without spoilers, so all I can say is read this book, you won’t regret it. show less

What a gem! This epistolary novel includes letters and emails from Sybil Van Antwerp to the people in her life. From a decades-long correspondence with her childhood friend to notes to neighbors to emails with a customer service rep, the letters tell the story of her life. It's a bit like 84 Charing Cross Road but with added depth and breadth. I absolutely loved Sybil. She's a complicated woman; sharply intelligent, acerbic, and incredibly caring. The author manages to tell so much of Sybil's history purely through her communication. As someone who loves writing letters, I cherished this picture of an intentional life.

I began The Correspondent last evening and finished it this morning. I am ready to reread it as well as sit down to write a few letters.

Sybil Van Antwerp, the feisty 78-year-old main character, is a trip! A letter writer all her life, the story unfolds through the letters she sends and receives. She is a woman who tells the truth even if it might be a bit too pointed. Yet, I loved her even when she was at her worst, mostly because she learned from those moments and tried to do better. There were poignant moments as she worked to repair relationships and face up to her mistakes. In a way, she reminded me of Alice, the matriarch in Maine also confronting her past as she tries to explain herself to her friends and children.