Today, I encourage you to listen to an epistolary novel. My request sounds counterintuitive because the story of an epistolary novel is told through documents. Authors use letters most often, but diary entries, newspaper articles, and emails are also common. The audiobook of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans features a full-cast ensemble of thirteen narrators. Thirteen fantastic narrators!
Sybil Van Antwerp has lived a very full life, and at 73 years old, she spends much of her time writing letters to her family, her friends, the odd stranger, and even famous people she has never met. Since childhood, Sybil has navigated the world through letter writing. In her correspondence, she shares her innermost thoughts and fears.
Virginia Evans dives into the topic of grief and how the death of a loved one changes a person. While this is a deep and painful part of Sybil’s narrative, the story contains moments of lightness and love.
The Correspondent is an excellent selection for a book club to read and then discuss together. It has been wildly popular since being published in April 2025 and was one of the top 10 bestselling novels of the year.
The most famous epistolary novel is Dracula by Bram Stoker. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows are more modern examples.
Whether you read with your eyes or ears, read The Correspondent. Quite possibly, Sybil’s choices will inspire us to write more handwritten letters.
Content warning: child death
Look for books at Knox County Online Library or your local independent bookstore each week.
Linda Sullivan is an avid reader and wants to inspire you to become one, too. For more recommendations or to talk books, reach out to her at thebookwhisperertn@gmail.com. She can also be found @thebookwhisperertn on Instagram.
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