Virginia Evans
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans unfolds in a series of letters to and from Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired septuagenarian who served as a judge’s chief clerk for thirty years.
Sybil dedicates certain days and times during the week to write letters. She prefers writing letters to sending emails. She corresponds with friends, family, neighbors, authors, newspaper editors, a university dean, and individuals from her past. In short, she sends letters to anyone and everyone.
The letters gradually reveal Sybil’s background and personality. She emerges as a no-nonsense, quirky, stubborn, caring individual who speaks her mind, and who is haunted by mistakes and regrets she made in the past. The novel includes some of the replies she receives. All the letters reflect the unique voices of the letter-writers, each of whom appears as a well-rounded individual and who, in one way or another, also face some of life’s challenges.
Virginia Evans handles the epistolary format with consummate skill. She adds layer upon layer of information, gradually revealing details until the full picture materializes. The letters are poignant, tender, and emotionally moving. Taken as a whole, they articulate the search for identity, the pain of losing a loved one, the importance of personal connections, the challenges of aging, the necessity of self-reflection, and the healing power of making amends with those whom one has wronged.
An engaging, gem of a book. In Sybil Van Antwerp, Virginia Evans has given this reader a character who will not soon be forgotten.