Tini's Reviews > The Correspondent

Signed, sealed, unforgettable.

"Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle, or, a better metaphor, if dated, the links of a long chain, and even if those links are never put back together, which they will certainly never be, even if they remain for the rest of time dispersed across the earth like the fragile blown seeds of a dying dandelion, isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?"

Sybil Van Antwerp has spent her life putting pen to paper, and now spends her retirement writing to family, friends, professors, authors, and even the occasional customer service agent who somehow becomes a confidant. Most mornings, around half past ten, she sits down to compose her letters, including the one she has written for years but never sent. But when unexpected letters from her past arrive, forcing her to revisit old wounds, Sybil must finally confront the painful history she has tried so hard to fold away, and perhaps discover the power of forgiveness.

"The Correspondent" is nothing short of extraordinary, and Sybil is one of those characters you will never forget. Seeing how this is an epistolary novel, and given we only catch different glimpses of Sybil in her various correspondences, how astonishing that this book manages to so vividly portray this woman. Through Sybil’s letters - at times prickly, often wise, always deeply human - we see an entire life sketched out: triumphs and regrets, stubbornness and humor, grief and love. At first, Sybil may seem like a judgmental septuagenarian, but letter by letter, she becomes impossible not to adore, and I found myself wishing I could be her pen pal.

Poignant and tender, "The Correspondent" is a beautifully written reminder of how brief life is, how each of us carries unseen, often heavy burdens, and how writing - whether to others or to ourselves - shapes the way we make sense of it all. It’s often dryly funny, sometimes heartbreakingly heavy, and always beautifully real and moving.

I was initially unsure how a book full of various correspondence would translate to an audiobook, but the audiobook cast was outstanding, so much so that I quickly set aside my physical copy to listen instead.

"The Correspondent" is one of those rare novels that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. Five very enthusiastic stars - and not just because it made me want to go buy a stack of stationery.