The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Sybil, at the age of 73, is struggling to come to terms with her life. She is living alone in Annapolis, her days busy with gardening, walks along the river, and the writing of letters to family, friends, politicians and writers, just as she has since the age of 9. But with her gradually diminishing vision and her fractured relationships, these activities are becoming more challenging. When circumstances, which include threats from an aggrieved victim of a long-ago judgement, a gift from her son of a DNA test kit, and the terminal illness of her ex-husband, force her to more actively confront her past, she sees that she must come to terms with both her accomplishments and her failures, and seek resolution for her future.

This is a thoroughly engaging story, told entirely via correspondence, both letters and emails. The tone of the letters is both revelatory and entertaining, as Sybil’s honesty, wit and intelligence shine through. While she is a strongly-opinionated and brilliant woman, she also shows compassion for those less fortunate, knowing that she has her own shortcomings, her own awkwardness.

The relationship between her and her friend’s son, Harry, is most moving. Harry is an autistic youth who has painful social interactions, is tortured by his fellow classmates, and has occasional outbursts. But he is also brilliant and compassionate in his own way, as we see in his curiosity about Sybil and her life. Because his father works so much (and minimizes his challenges) and his mother struggles with mental illness, he really has no other outlet than his letters to Sybil. They develop a unique closeness – deeply understanding each other and showing a beautiful allegiance to each other.

This is a gorgeous multi-layered narrative, told in a most creative and endearing way. A MUST READ for sure!