The Correspondent

Praise

“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

“The charming debut from Evans takes the form of letters and emails exchanged by a divorced and retired woman with her friends, family, foes, and literary idols. . . . As the years go on, Sybil’s relationships brim with tension waiting to be released, and the detailed connections between each character are brilliantly mapped through the correspondence. It adds up to an appealing family drama.”—Publishers Weekly

“The circus of beautifully drawn characters, who receive and respond to Sybil’s letters, is vibrant and rich. Sybil has survived trauma, grief, and lost love. She keeps her secrets close and edits her pain. The letters are so deliciously crafted, Sybil’s life itself becomes a work of art.”—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

“Letter by letter, The Correspondent reveals the different faces Sybil wears to navigate relationships with colleagues, friends, an almost-estranged daughter. Open-hearted with some, a hedgehog curled tight in a ball with others, I cried more than once as I witnessed this brilliant woman come to understand herself more deeply and risk lowering her defenses. Both serious and uplifting, The Correspondent shows us what a glorious thing growing older can be.”—Florence Knapp, author of The Names

“I finished this wonderful, wonderful book in tears, and had to take a moment—several moments—to pull myself together. . . . Equal parts sorrow and quiet joy, the stuff of life, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you reflect, as all the best novels do. Read it, read it, read it! Then buy it for your family, your friends, your people.”—Fran Littlewood, New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams

“I can’t praise it enough. Sybil is such a wonderful character, and the supporting cast so vivid and real. For a book about grief and regret it was also properly funny. It’s an absolute triumph.”—Clare Chambers, bestselling author of Small Pleasures and Shy Creatures

“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. I loved bearing witness to her struggles and her scolds, to the righting of her emotional wrongs. Author friends—please forgive me for proclaiming The Correspondent my new favorite book.”—Elinor Lipman, author of Ms. Demeanor

“The Correspondent is the rarest of debuts with not a misplaced word or beat missed. Moving, funny and exquisite, it is a masterpiece in human frailty.”—Anne Griffin, #1 Irish bestselling author of When All Is Said

“What a lovely novel, I fell in love with the eloquent, stubborn Sybil, such a wonderful character.”—Margot Livesey, New York Times bestselling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy and The Road from Belhaven