The Correspondent

By: Virginia Evans

Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed, Jane Oppenheimer, Carly Robins, Jeff Ebner, David Pittu, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Mark Bramhall, Petrea Burchard, Robert Petkoff, Kimberly Farr, Cerris Morgan-Meyer, Peter Ganim, Jade Wheeler, Various

Brought to you by Penguin.

In her letters to family and friends we come to know the life of Sybil Van Antwerp: stubborn, cantankerous, opinionated, always steadfast in her belief in the power of the written word.

But as the clock begins to tick for Sybil, the need for a few post-scripts to the life she’s led becomes apparent. Fixing her difficult relationship with her children. Taking a final chance at romance. Atoning for an old legal case which has come back to haunt her. And finally, reckoning with a devastating loss that she has spent the last thirty years holding close to her chest.

'Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding' ANN PATCHETT

'The superbly talented Virginia Evans has written a novel of connection and daring' - ADRIANA TRIGANI, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

'I was wowed by this deliciously brilliant book! Thank you, Virginia Evans, for a life beautifully told in letters, for creating a character whose mind struggles with her heart in a most intriguing, sympathetic, witty, and binge-worthy way' - Elinor Lipman, author of MS DEMEANOR

© Virginia Evans 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

I was delighted and moved . . . Evans does an expert job at making you root for [Sybil] even as you want to give her a timeout . . . Masterful

This is the novel I'm giving to everyone for Christmas... The Correspondent is a delight: melancholy without being sentimental, warm without being cosy, witty without being silly... The comparisons to Strout are accurate but this novel also reminded me of Anne Tyler's ability to make the domestic dramatic... An ode to a dying art form, and proof that your life is never too decided to make a change. (Laura Hackett)

A warm, funny gem of a novel . . . It’s a clever conceit, which Virginia Evans uses to great effect in a novel that is melancholic without being sentimental. One for fans of Elizabeth Strout.

Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding. Virginia Evans shows how one woman changes at a point when change had seemed impossible. That change, like this novel, turns out to be a cause for celebration (Ann Patchett, bestselling author of TOM LAKE)

‘A masterclass in how to put words on human frailty. This debut does not put a foot wrong. Smart and clever . . . Evans is a confident, competent author in whom we can trust’

I can't praise it enough. Sybil is such a wonderful character, and the supporting cast so vivid and real. For a book about grief and regret it is also properly funny. It's an absolute triumph (Clare Chambers, bestselling author of SMALL PLEASURES)

Open-hearted with some, a hedgehog curled tight in a ball with others, I cried more than once as I witnessed this brilliant woman come to understand herself more deeply and risk lowering her defences. Both serious and uplifting, in The Correspondent, Virginia Evans shows us what a glorious thing growing older can be (Florence Knapp, author of THE NAMES)

This novel is a complete and utter joy. (Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of HELLO BEAUTIFUL)

I'm kind of speechless at how good this was. How unexpectedly perfect and profoundly moving. It is so rare that a novel surprises you, but this one certainly did. I loved it. Felt cradled by it. Moved, and hurt, and healed. It’s a masterclass in the passage of time, in showing, not telling. In humility and redemption and how to love. I couldn’t look away. It is genius. It is tender. It has left me bruised, and grateful, and in tears. One of my best reads of the year. (Claire Daverley, author of TALKING AT NIGHT)

An absolute delight from start to finish, this novel is subtle, moving, wise and intelligent. I devoured it and will be reading everything Virginia Evans writes from now on. In the meantime, I’ll be recommending The Correspondent to anyone who’ll listen (Lucy Atkins, author of WINDMILL HILL and MAGPIE LANE)

Exceptional writing and cast for the audiobook

Easily the best fiction book of 2025 for me - absolutely loved it! Moving, heartfelt, poignant and simply beautiful.
The cast was amazing. Even through the audiobook, it is clear the writing is exceptional!

Best book for me in 2025!

Deeply honest, very moving, excellent book, very good narrator. I think this book should also be read in hard copy

A fantastic book! Sybill van Antwerp, I will carry you in my heart for a long time.

Amazing performances by the entire cast - they brought this book to life beautifully. I strongly recommend this book :)

Exceptional

What an exceptional book! Exceptional writing; exceptional performances. I have ordered the hard copy to read it again and study it

Letters revealing a life

Well-written, well-structured. For me Sybil starts off quite an unsympathetic character and the book even felt quite bland, but as the narrative progresses, the characters become more defined and the letters take on a shape. There’s a sense of foreboding that grows and made me feel anxious. Very moving indeed.