BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Correspondent: A Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ⢠OVER TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD ⢠Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as âA cause for celebrationââan intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love.
âThis novel is a complete and utter joy.ââAnn Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful
âQuietly dazzling.ââThe New York Times
âI cried more than once as I witnessed this brilliant woman come to understand herself more deeply.ââFlorence Knapp, author of The Names
In development as a major motion picture
WINNER OF THE WOMENâS PRIZE FOR FICTION ⢠LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE AND THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL ⢠A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Elle, Christian Science Monitor, She Reads
âImagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . Isnât there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of oneâs life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?â
Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.
Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write lettersâto her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.
Sybil expects her world to go on as it always hasâa mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.
Sybil Van Antwerpâs life of letters might be âa very small thing,â but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.
âThis novel is a complete and utter joy.ââAnn Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful
âQuietly dazzling.ââThe New York Times
âI cried more than once as I witnessed this brilliant woman come to understand herself more deeply.ââFlorence Knapp, author of The Names
In development as a major motion picture
WINNER OF THE WOMENâS PRIZE FOR FICTION ⢠LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE AND THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL ⢠A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Elle, Christian Science Monitor, She Reads
âImagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . Isnât there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of oneâs life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?â
Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.
Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write lettersâto her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.
Sybil expects her world to go on as it always hasâa mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.
Sybil Van Antwerpâs life of letters might be âa very small thing,â but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.
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Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
⨠Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *The Correspondent* is a heartfelt epistolary novel exploring loneliness, connection, and forgiveness through Sybilâs candid letters. Many...
What a beautiful book. At first it was hard for me to fully engage in this book but as time went on Iâm very happy I sought it through. Magnificent work.
I had to think about the rating for this book after finishing it. The main character was unlikeable for a number of reasons. However, through the correspondence, the reader can't help but to notice that she has changed over time. I think that the author may have done this intentionally to make the reader consdier that even the people who are unlikeable have stories to share and growth to endure. Particularly towards the end of life. While this book did not make me cry, and the emotional parts of it did not hit how I think the author intended, due to the personality of the main character, I did have an impossible time putting this book down, and had to finish it in one day, desipte staying up past my bedtime. So, that is ultimately why it earned 4 stars.
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