Seventy-three-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp, a woman who makes sense of the world through the letters she writes each morning. Through correspondence with friends, family, authors, and even institutions, Sybil reveals her sharp wit and reflective nature while quietly keeping the people who love her at a distance. When letters from someone tied to a painful chapter of her past resurface, she is forced to confront old wounds and consider the one letter she has never sent. Ultimately, Sybil must find the courage to seek forgiveness, from others and from herself, in order to move forward.
I really enjoyed this one. It was our March /Q1 pick for The Quarterly Book club, and it ended up being such a lovely reading experience. I really liked the format of the story, told through letters, and how it allowed us to slowly get to know both Sybil and the people she corresponded with. It felt intimate in a way that traditional narration sometimes doesn’t, almost like piecing together someone’s life through their thoughts and reflections.
One of my favorite aspects came later in the book when Sybil reflects that writing letters is the only way she can fully convey her emotions, and she acknowledges that she’s always been something of a social odd duck. That idea really resonated and helped explain so much about her relationships. I also found myself wishing we had learned more about her career, which seemed incredibly interesting from the brief glimpses we got. On the other hand, I did feel genuinely sad about her lack of connection with her daughter, it added a layer of realism and emotional weight to the story.
The book’s emphasis on loneliness, especially later in life, was beautifully represented. At the same time, it never felt hopeless. Instead, it felt thoughtful, compassionate, and honest about the ways people try to make sense of their lives. I really enjoyed getting to know Sybil across the decades of correspondence, and I can absolutely see why this book received so many nominations. Overall, this was a lovely story filled with hope, care, and a sense of reality about relationships and aging.
AMAZON | GOODREADS |★★★★.5
The Correspondent is out now. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books
