Available Formats
The Correspondent
By (Author) Virginia Evans
Penguin Books Ltd
Michael Joseph Ltd
29th April 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Humorous fiction
Epistolary fiction
Family life fiction
Narrative theme: Love and relationships
813.6
Paperback
288
Width 155mm, Height 234mm, Spine 20mm
354g
84 Charing Cross Road meets A Man Called Ove in this heartwarming, witty story about the life of an extraordinary woman, told through her letters. In her letters to family and friends we come to know the life of Sybil Van Antwerp- stubborn, cantankerous, opinionated, always steadfast in her belief in the power of the written word. But as the clock begins to tick for Sybil, the need for a few post-scripts to the life she's led becomes apparent. Fixing her difficult relationship with her children. Taking a final chance at romance. Atoning for an old legal case which has come back to haunt her. And finally, reckoning with a devastating loss that she has spent the last thirty years holding close to her chest.
Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding. Virginia Evans shows how one woman changes at a point when change had seemed impossible. That change, like this novel, turns out to be a cause for celebration. -- Ann Patchett, bestselling author of TOM LAKE
The superbly talented Virginia Evans has written a novel of connection and daring . . . The circus of beautifully drawn characters, who receive and respond to Sybil's letters are vibrant and rich . . . The letters are so deliciously crafted, Sybil's life itself becomes a work of art. -- Adriana Trigani, bestselling author of THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE
I was wowed by this deliciously brilliant book! Thank you, Virginia Evans, for a life beautifully told in letters, for creating a character whose mind struggles with her heart in a most intriguing, sympathetic, witty, and binge-worthy way. Author friends - please forgive me for proclaiming The Correspondent my new favorite book. -- Elinor Lipman, author of MS DEMEANOR
The superbly talented Virginia Evans has written a novel of connection and daring . . . The circus of beautifully drawn characters, who receive and respond to Sybil's letters are vibrant and rich . . . The letters are so deliciously crafted, Sybil's life itself becomes a work of art. -- Fran Littlewood, author of Amazing Grace Adams
What a lovely novel . . . I fell in love with the eloquent, stubborn Sybil, such a wonderful character. -- Margot Livesey, author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy
Virginia Evans is from the northeastern United States. She attended James Madison University for her bachelor's in English literature. After starting a family, she went back to school for her master's of philosophy in creative writing at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where she studied under tutors including Claire Keegan and Kevin Power. She now lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with her husband, Mark, two children, Jack and Mae, and her Red Labrador, Brigid.