Andie’s Book Club: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Evans does a beautiful job bringing compelling characters to life, creating an emotional story that stays with you long after you’ve set the book down for the night.
One of my favorite gifts to buy a graduate, whether from high school or college, is personalized stationery. A handwritten note in the mail means so much more than a text or email ever could. You don't have to be a correspondent to make an impression. One note usually does the trick.
There’s nothing like opening your mailbox and seeing a letter addressed to you. It gives you a little thrill. Even before you open it, you know it’s not a bill or a credit card application. A letter is a tangible, personal connection. One that reaches deeper than email ever can. The handwritten word is intentional, and that intention makes it intimate.
Sadly, our fast-paced society has lost the art of letter writing. We let Hallmark author our thoughts for life’s biggest moments, from birth to death. Artificial intelligence helps compose digital messages.
Copy. Paste. Send.
Communicating this way may be quick and easy, but it’s missing the personal touch; and that absence is at the heart of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. This beautifully written novel celebrates the sincerity and permanence of letter writing while chronicling the life of its unforgettable main character.
Who Is The Correspondent?
Sybil Van Antwerp is vivid and complex. A 73-year-old retired lawyer and clerk, she is logical and emotional, strong and sensitive, vulnerable yet impermeable. We come to know all of this through her letters.
Sybil is a writer. She writes to friends and family, to authors and celebrities - and, with a wicked twist of the wrist, she pens her grievances as well.
After reading The Correspondent, I couldn’t stop talking about the intricacies of a story told entirely through letters. This epistolary novel leaves nothing unsaid. Evans does a beautiful job bringing compelling characters to life, creating an emotional story that stays with you long after you’ve set the book down for the night.
It's no wonder why everyone is talking about this book. If you love a well-written story told in a compelling and thoughtful style, consider The Correspondent by Virginia Evans for your next book club pick.
