Historical February–March 2026 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
As I write this review, I am saddened that the holiday season is over. Gone are the sparkly lights, the piles of shoes by the front door from kids returned home, the din of laughter around a candlelit dining room table. And for me, most regrettably is the loss of anticipatory hope in finding handwritten, brightly colored envelopes tucked in amongst the routine bills and advertisements in our mailbox.
I can be an old-fashioned sentimentalist at times, but nothing touches my heart more than receiving a personal card or letter via good ole snail mail.
I think my love of “snail mail” is the reason I adore epistolary novels.
These books reveal their stories through a series of letters or emails or diary entries, or in modern times, blog posts.
In my opinion, the writing style offers a more intimate, firsthand perspective for the reader that frankly, makes me feel special, like I have a greater insight, a deeper connection with the main character. So, if you enjoy this type of narrative, you will love The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans.
The narrator, Sybil Van Antwerp, is 70 years old and has been a dedicated and artful letter writer for her entire life.
She is a retired court chief clerk living in Maryland, as well as a mother, grandmother, divorcee, and devoted friend, so we get to meet a myriad of people that were and are a part of Sybil’s life as her story unfolds. Our heroine’s personality, fiercely independent and deeply vulnerable, is revealed through her very pointed, well-worded, thoughtful letters, whether sent, unsent or rough-drafted. Those snapshot life-revelations kept me hooked and page turning.
I mean, who hasn’t felt a bit guilty, admittedly intrusive but wholly intrigued when reading someone else’s mail, no matter what the reason and/or justification?
There are a multitude of themes addressed in Sybil’s life. Relatable themes of loss, estrangement, and reconciliation of family relationships. Intensely personal themes of adoption and existential longing for connection. Reflections that explore aging and the associated complexities of how memories shape us, where memories can take us and whether or not we allow them to lead us down new paths. Within its pages, this book offers mystery, romance (in the sweetest form), tragedy and intergenerational connection and understanding. Ultimately, the novel’s focus is about acceptance. Acceptance of imperfection. Acceptance of loss in all its forms. Acceptance of vulnerability, honesty, and the embrace of possibility. Even redemption.
All through the simple act of reaching out to one another, with hope.
Some of my favorite letters include the “attendance requirement” politics of her gardening club, her surprising pen pal relationship with Joan Didion and a thoroughly touching friendship she develops with a random phone representative from a genealogy company. For her debut novel, Virginia Evans has gifted us a true gem, beautifully written, beautifully structured, and worth reading every word of its 304 pages.
I hope this book warms your heart as much as it did mine.
Original photograph caption
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans original book cover.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2026.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2026_02.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
