Book Review of “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans

As I mentioned in my previous book review, I joined a book club a few months ago. The August selection is The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, and at first, I had my doubts. When I flipped through the pages, I noticed that there is no narrative voice within this book—it’s all letters! I gave it a shot, though, and discovered that books can work without narration! Who knew?

That first night, I probably read about twenty pages. I am not a fast reader, so when I say it took me five days to finish this book, it’s a compliment to Ms. Evans for weaving such an emotion-driven story solely through letters. Bravo!

The main character in this book is Sybil Van Antwerp, and the letters span ten years—from June 2012 through January 2022. She pretty much writes to everyone—her brother, her son, her daughter, her neighbor, people she used to work with, and even some famous people—and the majority of this correspondence is handwritten. There are also letters addressed to Sybil. All of the letters within these pages tell the story of a retired legal clerk who is stubborn and set in her ways, but as time moves forward, so does she.

Near the beginning of the book, Sybil chastises a man she corresponds with for his remarks about her letter writing. He calls it "quaint and impractical,” and she goes on to explain to him why letter-writing is so important, and it just makes so much sense!

“Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world…” “…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?”

One of my very favorite letters in this book is Sybil’s first letter to her friend Joan. It is so thoughtfully woven into such relatable context that it should resonate with anyone, regardless of age. Just listen to—or rather, read—the way Evans uses our main character to describe the seasons of our lives so succinctly:

“I have to think that when it comes to seasons we all get one round. We are born and grow through childhood in spring. We live those glorious, lively, interesting years of our twenties, thirties, forties in summer. We settle into ourselves in autumn, that cool but not yet cold time, rich and aromatic. And in winter we age (brutally) and die. One turn of the seasons per person, unless it’s cut short…”

Okay, so that aging brutally part is a bit macabre, but this character doesn’t mince words. That’s what I like about her.

On a lighter note, I had a pen pal when I was a little girl, and this book makes me wish I still had his letters. In my previous book review, I mentioned that I grew up in East L.A. for the first eleven years of my life. Well, I moved up north to a small town (still in California) when I was twelve, and I began writing a friend that I left behind. Our correspondence went on for years, and I was the first person he came out to; we were on the phone then. I don’t know when or why we quit writing each other, but after reading this book, I feel like taking up pen and paper and writing to a stranger!

And that is exactly what Sybil does in this book. Some of her letters are to people she’s never met, and all because she liked an author’s book or a director’s film. Sometimes she would receive responses from them. How cool is that? I emailed an author once to let her know I loved her book. She responded to me too!

Virginia Evans did a wonderful job with this story. And, even though it consists of only letters, I am calling it a story, because these letters tell a wintery ten-year tale of love, loss, avoidance, and inevitably acceptance.

Readers who have known any or all of these things will find The Correspondent a relatable, soothing read, best enjoyed during an autumn month with a cup of piping-hot tea beside them.