The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
⭐⭐⭐⭐- Shelf Worthy!
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
Morning Readers & Happy Sunday!
I am so excited to have a day off and easing into at least one full day of reading (& writing here), especially as this is my last post to catch up on for January!
When I first picked up The Correspondent I literally cringed at the opening lines, realizing that it was written in letter-format. The last time I’d tried reading anything of a similar style had been Lady Susan and the Watsons by Jane Austen, a favorite author of mine but a book I could not even finish.
It took a couple chapters, but Virginia ended up winning me over and I became immersed in her character Sybil’s letters.
A novel told through a series of letters written by a woman whose life has narrowed after loss and disappointment. Sybil writes to friends, acquaintances, institutions, and strangers, her letters revealing a sharp, funny, and deeply observant inner world. Through these exchanges, the novel explores loneliness, aging, grief, and the quiet dignity of continuing to reach outward, showing how even one voice, sent into the world, can create moments of connection and meaning.
The Correspondent is a wonderful look into self-reflection and personal growth; into the interconnected webs of our lives, and into our own impermanence, glimpsed by what pieces of ourselves we may leave behind.
I found myself, on multiple occasions after reading this book, wondering if I should contact a retirement home and pick up a pen-pal as reading from the viewpoint of an older character was so refreshing, and quite endearing. I haven’t done that yet, but what I did do is go out and buy a couple of notebooks and start journaling again, fountain pen and all.
There really is something different about putting pen to paper that makes the words feel more intentional, as if they have more substance by being put to ink. This week it’s really helped slow my moments of anxiety, forcing me to reflect instead of react, and I’m hoping to bring that more and more into my work and posts here as well.
I hope you all have an amazing weekend and wishing you all the best!
When was the last time you wrote an actual letter?
-Anna R.
*As always if you purchase through any of the links in this post, or throughout this blog, a small commission comes back to help support the page & what I do here!
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
The Weekend Readers 
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