Story Insights: The Correspondent

Do you best express yourself through writing or speaking?

Book Excerpt 🎙️:

Read this if you want to feel all different types of emotions in one reflective, well written novel.

Book Summary:

“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.

Considered Reads Summary:

Sybil Van Antwerp was adopted at a very early age and being a bit of an introvert she best communicates through letter writing with many people from all ages and walks of life. Sybil is a stubborn, thoughtful, and eccentric being. She speaks without a filter which sometimes can cause unintended harm to the innocent reader, but the message is always coming from the pureness of her heart in her mission to tell the truth above all else.

As you gather a deeper understanding of her character, Sybil is confronted with several pieces of life-changing information that draw out both her curiosities and insecurities. Towards the end of her life, she confesses her darkest secret of all, following with a deep sense of reflection and introspection exhibiting just how much she has personally grown. This is an emotionally complex body of work reinforcing the importance of self-analysis in the relationships we take part in over the course of our lives.

Evans writes this novel with intentional eloquence and wit, taking ordinary moments and forming them to become deeply impactful. It seems she may have meticulously composed the structure of the letters into a rhythmic and fluid movement, capturing you if not within the material itself, in the motion.

Audience Match: Those who enjoy finding relatable characters and find solace in how the character(s) moves through the imperfect contents of life.

Quiet Question: What repercussions do the smallest decisions we make have on others?

Mood: Heartfelt

Pacing: Fluctuates between medium and fast paced.

Our Rating: 5.0 - I was immediately drawn to this book, as one is, by the title and book cover. Once I realized it was on the Best Seller list I knew it was probably going to deliver the impact I was after…and now here I sit, after turning the last page with an aching heart, relishing and reflecting in the many emotions it stirred within. If you are currently enjoying our Q1 pick, you won’t want to miss this masterpiece.

Dare I say, I think this is my favorite book I have ever read.

Favorite Quote:

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

Comparable Titles:

• I Will Always Write Back - Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda with Liz Welch

• Heart the Lover - Lily King

• The Bright Years - Sarah Damoff