Overview

84 Charing Cross Road meets A Man Called Ove in this Radio 2 Book Club pick- a 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.

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9781405971553

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Reviews

I was delighted and moved . . . Evans does an expert job at making you root for [Sybil] even as you want to give her a timeout . . . Masterful * New York Times * 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 ‘A masterclass in how to put words on human frailty. This debut does not put a foot wrong. Smart and clever . . . Evans is a confident, competent author in whom we can trust’ * Irish Times * 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 is also properly funny. It's an absolute triumph -- Clare Chambers, bestselling author of SMALL PLEASURES 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 defences. Both serious and uplifting, in The Correspondent, Virginia Evans shows us what a glorious thing growing older can be -- Florence Knapp, author of THE NAMES An absolute delight from start to finish, this novel is subtle, moving, wise and intelligent. I devoured it and will be reading everything Virginia Evans writes from now on. In the meantime, I’ll be recommending The Correspondent to anyone who’ll listen -- Lucy Atkins, author of WINDMILL HILL and MAGPIE LANE I read The Correspondent in a single sitting. What a beautiful, brilliant book. Both funny and movingly poignant, this is a book for anyone who has ever felt the compulsion to pick up pen and paper, but also for those who sometimes find themselves at a loss for the right words. You must read it! -- Libby Page, bestselling author of THE LIDO A witty, tenderly rendered story of a life, in all its fragments and knots, and ultimately a beautiful meditation on the lost art of communication. I can’t imagine anyone with a soul not loving it -- Lauren Bravo, author of PRELOVED I finished this wonderful, wonderful book in tears, and had to take a moment to pull myself together. 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, author of AMAZING GRACE ADAMS The Correspondent is the rarest of debuts with not a misplaced word, or a beat missed. Moving, funny and exquisite, it is a masterpiece in human frailty -- ANNE GRIFFIN, bestselling author of WHEN ALL IS SAID

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 ‘A masterclass in how to put words on human frailty. This debut does not put a foot wrong. Smart and clever . . . Evans is a confident, competent author in whom we can trust’ * Irish Times * 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 is also properly funny. It's an absolute triumph -- Clare Chambers, bestselling author of SMALL PLEASURES 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 defences. Both serious and uplifting, in The Correspondent, Virginia Evans shows us what a glorious thing growing older can be -- Florence Knapp, author of THE NAMES An absolute delight from start to finish, this novel is subtle, moving, wise and intelligent. I devoured it and will be reading everything Virginia Evans writes from now on. In the meantime, I’ll be recommending The Correspondent to anyone who’ll listen -- Lucy Atkins, author of WINDMILL HILL and MAGPIE LANE A witty, tenderly rendered story of a life, in all its fragments and knots, and ultimately a beautiful meditation on the lost art of communication. I can’t imagine anyone with a soul not loving it -- Lauren Bravo, author of PRELOVED I finished this wonderful, wonderful book in tears, and had to take a moment to pull myself together. 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, author of AMAZING GRACE ADAMS The Correspondent is the rarest of debuts with not a misplaced word, or a beat missed. Moving, funny and exquisite, it is a masterpiece in human frailty -- ANNE GRIFFIN, bestselling author of WHEN ALL IS SAID 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

Author Information

Virginia Evans is from the East Coast of the 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.

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