The Correspondent

£16.99

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 30 years holding close to her chest.

Peek Inside

In stock

Description

Discover the emotional, funny, unforgettable BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, Amazon Best Book of 2025 and New York Times bestselling word-of-mouth sensation that thousands of readers are calling their favourite book of the year…

Over 30,000 five star reviews on Goodreads!

‘THIS NOVEL IS A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION’ Ann Patchett

‘I WAS DELIGHTED AND MOVED . . . MASTERFUL’ New York Times

I CAN’T PRAISE IT ENOUGH. AN ABSOLUTE TRIUMPH‘ Clare Chambers

‘THIS NOVEL IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER JOY’ Ann Napolitano

‘I DON’T HAVE ANY WORDS. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY’ Reader review

‘I THINK I’VE JUST FINISHED MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF THE YEAR’ Reader review


Every morning, Sybil Van Antwerp sits down to write letters – to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to attend a class she desperately wants to take, to her favourite authors to tell them what she thinks of their latest books.

Because at seventy-three, Sybil has used her correspondence – witty and wise – to make sense of the world. But beyond the page, she has spent the last thirty years keeping the people who love her at arms’ length… Until letters from someone she had put out of her mind land on her doorstep, forcing her to reckon with her past mistakes.

For as Sybil is about to learn: it’s never too late to write a few post-scripts.

Funny, wry and bittersweet, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of connection and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime, told by one of the most memorable characters you will ever meet.

Perfect for fans of Three Days in June, Olive Kitteridge and Tom Lake.

Readers love THE CORRESPONDENT

‘This is the book of the year!’ 5 ? reader review

‘This book touched my soul’ 5 ? reader review

‘Should be required reading’ 5 ? reader review

‘Oh my heart. What a gem’ 5 ? reader review

I found myself asking myself, “Is this the best book I’ve ever read?”‘ 5 ? reader review

‘Left a profound impact on me . . . explores the reflections that come with the choices we make and it does so with such grace and depth that it’s impossible not to be moved’ 5 ? reader review

Read a sample here

Additional information

Weight 0.395 kg
Dimensions 22.4 × 14.3 × 2.6 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Hardback

Pages

288

Language

English

Edition

Hardback original

Dewey

813.6 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K