Virginia Evans

The Correspondent

Initial slow read but grandma Sybil was a multi-faceted character I grew to like fondly  

Jazz j

I didn’t realize it would be a series of letters and I absolutely loved getting to know Sybil’s history, her loves and her prejudices, her faults and her charms through this form of dairy keeping. Someone told me once that writing letters are a bit selfish because you write all about yourself and timestamp it for someone else to keep. Though I don’t agree on the word « selfish » I get it. This book was so wonderful and I absolutely delighted in it. Cried at the end. 

Lily Dendy

I thought this was such an original approach to sharing the details of a life. I loved Sybil’s voice in her letters. I need a pen pal.

Jacqui Spears

Okay okay I’m genuinely so depressed I finished this book so quickly. It changed me in so many ways and made me feel so many emotions all at once. Everyone has to read this book at some point in their lives!!!

ophelia ross 

Taylor Silveira 

This was lovely. I’ve always loved letters, and watching Sybil evolve through them was touching and delightful. We see her transform from what we think is a caricature of a high-horse old woman to a multidimensional and lovable human. I also appreciated how well Evans, as Sybil would, tied all the story threads into neat bows and yet managed to surprise us with a twist. (PS. The audio cast, especially Maggi-Meg Reed as Sybil, was perfect!)

Alexa Nota

Patsy Koss

Andrea Hak-Kovacs

I listened to this audiobook. Every letter is read in a different voice. I think it is that aspect is what really bothered me at first. It was hard to follow. That being said… it was this aspect that ended up making this book so so so special. I fell in love with nearly every character. I felt the main writer’s grief and joy so deeply. It was almost as if I lived her life along side of her. Not many books can bring me to this height and depth of emotion. I think everyone should listen to this book at least once in their life.