The Correspondent

When I first heard of The Correspondent, it was from my friend Chris, a voracious and intelligent reader. It was a book she had to own and was having a hard time finding it. I was intrigued. When I saw her next, she had just finished it and lent it to me. Now I understand. And now I want to own it too, because it is a book I will want to reread many times over. There will always be more to glean from it.
 
Plot Summary
Sybil is a divorced woman in her seventies, living comfortably in Maryland. She has two adult children, a son and a daughter. Her life is one of routine, rules, and values which she faithfully adheres to. Several mornings each week she devotes herself to her written correspondence. She believes vehemently in the power of writing letters, their demand to be fully thought out, and their longevity, versus the rushed, transient nature of digital correspondence such as emails.
Sybil writes to make sense of the world and her place in it.
The Correspondent is a series of Sybil’s letters, both those she has written and those from her recipients. They chronicle her life from June 2012 through to January 2022.
Through the letters, we piece together Sybil’s life: a failed marriage with vestiges of guilt and love; an adult daughter she struggles to connect with; an adult son; a younger brother who lives abroad; a once rewarding career as a law clerk to a high profile judge; the troubled son of a friend; a sister-in-law/best friend she loves deeply; and finally, a son who died tragically young.
There are also moments of lightness and humour such as the correspondence with Sybil’s two “gentlemen callers” offering companionship in entirely different ways, and her dogged determination to audit English Literature courses at the nearby university. Sybil is a conscientous reader, who sometimes writes to authors including Joan Didion, Ann Patchett, and Diana Gabaldon. Sometimes they even write back!
Through letters, Sybil confronts her life – what was and what is – along with her loves, losses, guilt, and grief. As readers, we come to understand and empathize with this strong woman who is, at last, ultimately human with all her quirks and failings, as well as her forgiveness and capacity to love.
 
My thoughts
The Correspondent will appeal to readers who appreciate the quiet unfolding of a story. The unusual format of letters (and a few emails) takes a while to get into and initially, there were a few times when I had to look back to see who the addressee was and how they were related to Sybil. But this is a minor quibble.
It was so interesting to watch a life unfold over the course of a decade and to see how events as they occurred, shaped that life, and with it, Sybil’s realization of her part in it. While at first, we are drawn in to the major players in her life, we become slowly riveted to see where things will lead and become invested in their lives too. What will become of the troubled young boy Sybil befriends? Which, if any, of the two men will Sybil choose to spend time with? Will she be able to put aside her own feelings enough to forge a relationship with her daughter? Will she finally forgive herself for the loss of her marriage and her son’s death?
The Correspondent is a brilliant, heartbreaking, and beautiful novel about one woman’s coming to terms with herself, told with empathy, wisdom and love. It is a subtle, intimate portrait of an ordinary life examining the knowledge of ourselves when that life has been fully lived.
 
Thanks so much for staying with me, friends. I so appreciate your support. It’s that time of year when we prepare to come inside, wrap ourselves up with a cup of tea, or glass of wine, and a great book. Hope you have some good books lined up, and if you have any recommendations, or come across something to share, please let me know. 
And in the meantime, happy reading!
Joni