The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Sybil is a compulsive letter-writer. She writes to her favourite authors, to her best friend, to her children, to the local university dean - to anyone who crosses her path. But as her eyesight weakens, the vehicle of her life becomes threatened.

This book is also a super-charged reading list.

Deteriorating vision and old age are not Sybil’s only problems. Someone from her past is haunting her. She’s caught in a love triangle. Her relationship with her daughter is fraying. And, after a life as an orphan, new information appears concerning her biological family. Here, in letters, is the rough magic of life: love, loss, mistakes, choices, friends, family, regrets, - and secrets.

The letters feel like super-short chapters, making The Correspondent a fast, easy read. It’s funny in places, sad in others. Questions like What will happen to Basam? and Who is DM? drew me on. I was taken aback by Sybil’s rudeness to Basam at the start of their correspondence, but on reflection I wonder whether her errors of judgement save her from being too syrupy a character.

I enjoyed the unfolding mystery of DM, the slow-burn romance, and the reveal of Sybil’s dark secret. I thought The Correspondent earned its ending.

WHAT TO READ NEXT

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty - recommeded by Sybil herself

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor