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The Correspondent

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The Correspondent

By: Virginia Evans
Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed, Jane Oppenheimer, Carly Robins, Jeff Ebner, David Pittu, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Mark Bramhall, Petrea Burchard, Robert Petkoff, Kimberly Farr, Cerris Morgan-Meyer, Peter Ganim, Jade Wheeler, Various
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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.

'Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding' ANN PATCHETT

'The superbly talented Virginia Evans has written a novel of connection and daring' - 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' - Elinor Lipman, author of MS DEMEANOR

© Virginia Evans 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Best of 2025 Family Life Friendship Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Witty

Critic 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
This is the novel I'm giving to everyone for Christmas... The Correspondent is a delight: melancholy without being sentimental, warm without being cosy, witty without being silly... The comparisons to Strout are accurate but this novel also reminded me of Anne Tyler's ability to make the domestic dramatic... An ode to a dying art form, and proof that your life is never too decided to make a change. (Laura Hackett)
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’
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)
This novel is a complete and utter joy. (Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of HELLO BEAUTIFUL)
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)
All stars
Most relevant
Beautifully written with a wonderful use of the English language. it was a very unique way of following a life with better writing.

A Unique Storytelling

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This was such a beautiful story. You will laugh, you will cry, but most of all you will feel lucky to have read such a novel.

Such a brilliant story!

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It’s beautifully set out and written, the performances wonderful and a very different kind of story. Refreshing and melancholy and everything in between that a life is.

A tapestry of characters and stories

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The Correspondent was reflecting so deeply, and the reader/listener is a privileged party to the unfolding result.

letter writing is a dying, and revelatory, art,

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I can only imagine this story being told, through the voices of the brilliant narrators of The Correspondent. What a wonderful enchanting and uplifting story. just brilliant!

Brilliant

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I didn’t want this beautiful story to end. Every character is so vivid through their correspondence with our protagonist, whose quiet, somewhat lonely, later life takes unexpected turns. At times joyful, at others heartbreaking. Every performance is perfection in this audible.

A love story to letters and to reading

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Took a while to settle into it. But we'll worth persevering.I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters.

Beautifully written

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


I highly recommend this beautiful book 🥹

The characters felt so real and I do believe I will always think of this book in years to come.
Sybil writes letters everyday - to her brother, her daughter, authors to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, her best friend …

We learn about Sybil through her correspondence but when letters from someone in her past presents themsleves, she is forced to examine one of the most painful experience’s of her life.
Utterly heartbreaking, rich in character and emotions, I will miss Sybil Van Antwerp and her correspondence 🥺

My heart!

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I’m so glad I decided on this book. I really enjoyed the letter format of the story and once I was familiar with all of the characters the story really took on a whole other level. The relationships she shared and how they all entwined into this honest warts and all story of life, both mundane and harrowing was so captivating I found myself looking for opportunities (making time) to read (listen). The narration was excellent. Highly recommend!

Outstanding

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A delicate, gently unfolding story of life and the stories we tell ourselves. Captivating and heartwarming.

Beautiful storytelling

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