The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: book review
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Sybil is a believer in being a correspondent. When she sits down to write her letters, it is the most meaningful part of her day. She takes pride in her handwriting, in the precision of her phrasing. Sometimes she writes multiple drafts. Only occasionally will she stoop to emailing with loved ones as a means of keeping in contact. Sybil doesn't fly, doesn't really travel at all. Her grown children live far away, and she's divorced. When the book starts, her world is her garden club and her letters, many of which she sends to famous authors, giving reports on their books that she's read. This leads her to exchange letters with luminaries like Joan Didion. The entire book is told through letters, both the ones that Sybil sends and those she receives (and occasionally ones she writes and doesn't send), though sometimes we only see one side of the exchange. The first letter in the book is from 2012, and the last is in 2020, constitu...
