An anthology of letters, with multiple names, is really not my jam when it comes to reading.
However, the beauty of belonging to my local book club is that the choice is not always mine, which is a great way of stepping out of my cosy comfort zone and trying something new.
This is how I found myself opening up this month’s book club choice, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.Th
In the book, we see the life unfold of septuagenarian Sybil Van Antwerp over a course of a decade, the letters shedding light into her relationships with friends, family and everyone else in between.
The book is a real insight into human nature. I don’t think it really has a plot or narrative thanks to the numerous view-points of characters in the book. What you do get, is the clever use of letters, from both recipients in Sybil’s orbit, and Sybil herself, which perhaps yields a more ‘rounded’ view of what is going on in those people’s lives.
If you don’t like non-linear storytelling, with a boat-load of characters, around 79, then you may struggle (narrator’s voice: “Yes the long list rendered the book to be a bit of a head-scratcher.”)
It took me a while to really get into the book. It was around half-way through, that I started to get a handle on the characters and their connection to the main lady in charge, Sybil. Which is why I then skim-read the last half, only reading the letters from characters that drove the story forward.
Look, The Correspondent has fans who love the book after the first read and wax lyrical about it.
Since publication in April 2025, The Correspondent has racked up top tier literary plaudits including winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026, Sunday Times Bestseller, New York Times Bestseller and a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick.
Coming in at around 288 pages in paperback, it appears to be an easy read.
I didn’t find it the easiest to navigate. However – and bear with me on this – I did return to the book a few weeks’ later to finish the second half. I think some books just need time to grow on you, this one is definitely in this ‘grower’ category.
The Guardian’s reviewer called Sybil ‘irascible’ and this is the exact same word I would use too. Sybil is not the most likeable of people and she has a tendency to rub people up the wrong way. But, we eventually understand why she is the way she is, a life marred by grief of losing her son, and the gentle aftermath that continues to affect her life until her dying day.
The ending was one of my favourite parts. I liked how Sybil found peace, largely delivered through letters she wrote to her estranged daughter Fiona, and confessions to her departed husband.
In a world where letter writing is seen as a novelty, reading this collection of letters (eventually) felt like a breath of fresh air.
The Correspondent is less a book about plot, but more about what emotions it evokes in you. I felt uplifted after finishing the book, and I would recommend it as a really touching read. Just try to keep a list of all the characters in the book to swerve befuddlement. A big hat-tip to Book Companion which has a super hand resource that lists all characters in the book.
The Correspondent is written by Virginia Evans, published by Penguin Michael Joseph and book cover designer is Gemma Koomen.