The Correspondent

Once again I return to the list of "I have no idea who recommended this book" to talk about The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.

Seriously: I have so many recommendations from so many people and websites that I'm not sure where I heard about this one or how it made it on my list. It obviously looked interesting enough and it's very popular; I waited a long time for it to come in at the library and there are currently 712 holds on it (I'm returning it this afternoon so the next person can read it).

I really enjoyed the story. It's told in letter form (with some emails) over about 10 years. The main character, Sybil, is in her early 70s when the novel opens. She has written letters all her life and is not willing to give up and make the switch to email completely. Most of the letters are ones she writes, although some are written to her.

As the story unfolds, we learn more about Sybil's life, her past, and her family. We see her interact with other people: old friends, her brother and children, her friend's young son, a customer service rep whom she manages to befriend, and other characters. We start to get a picture of what type of person Sybil is and what influences in the past have shaped her present.

As a bonus, Sybil is a reader and often writes about books, either writing to the authors or sharing "what I'm reading now" with a friend.

The story is not action and adventure, but character and life. It held my attention and I read it quickly, over a couple days of riding the bus (my best reading time right now). I'm very glad that I picked it up and happily recommend it to others.