The Correspondent

Sybil Van Antwerp has spent her life making sense of the world through letters. Nearly every morning at half past ten, she sits down to write—to her brother, to her closest friend, to the university president who refuses to let her audit a class she longs to take, and even to authors like Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to share her thoughts on their latest books. There is also one person she writes to often, though those letters are never sent.

Sybil believes her life will continue as it always has. She has lived fully—as a daughter, mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, and distinguished lawyer. But when unexpected letters from someone in her past resurface, they force her to confront one of the most painful chapters of her life.

Slowly, Sybil realizes that the letter she has been writing for years cannot remain hidden forever. Before she can move forward, she must find the strength to face the past—and the courage to offer forgiveness.

The Correspondent is a thoughtful and moving novel about the comfort found in literature, the connections we form through words, and the wisdom that only comes with a life fully lived.