The Correspondent

 The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

An elegantly written story told in letters sent to and from Mrs. Sybil Van Antwerp, a well-spoken, sometimes prickly lady in her senior years. She writes letters every day to any number of people: her brother, friends, strangers, officials with whom she doesn't agree, authors with her thoughts on their books, and anyone else with whom she wants to share an opinion. She writes regularly to one unnamed person whose letters she keeps in a desk drawer and never mails.

 Sybil can be stubborn and judgemental, qualities which have hurt people over the years and driven some away. She carries the pain of a long ago action, or rather inaction, that did great harm, something she has never told another soul but which has cast a shadow over all her days and affected every relationship in her life. With age, and through letters sent and received, she little by little comes to see where she has been wrong, and in time is able to begin to make amends and seek forgiveness. 

 Sybil can be frustrating but I came to respect and admire her so much I can now call her one of my favourite fictional characters. I'll want to read the book again to spend more time in her company and enjoy her beautifully written letters.

This is a story about the mistakes we make and the suffering they cause, the giving and receiving of forgiveness and grace, and the finding of peace after years in the storm. And besides all that, there's a very entertaining romantic storyline as two quite different gentlemen come courting. 

 I loved it - the story, the characters, the writing, and the excellent narrating of the audio version by Maggi-Meg Reed. 

This is a treasure of a book.