The Correspondent was the latest title discussed by my online book club.  It came highly recommended by well-read friends, but I admit I wondered how a story could be structured strictly though letters and emails.  I need not have worried as this debut novel evolved naturally with well-defined characters and a narrative that eventually sucked me in.

At the onset of the book, I admit I was not fond of Sylvia Van Antwerp’s opinionated personality.  I wanted more refinement and finesse in her correspondence rather than blatant opinion.  Each letter whether to a friend or family member, the President, or a blockbuster movie director conveyed the precision of a prosecutor’s closing statement.  While many of book’s letters were written by Sylvia, we are also privy to a portion of the responses.  It is through these dialogues that we join her exploration of family history, court decisions with long-reaching consequences, and new late-in-life friendships, all moving toward a level of self-awareness and acceptance.  A recognition of her own frailties and a new tenderness for others.

Having recently joined The Sunday Letter Project with the intent of putting pen to paper rather than dashing off an ephemeral email or text, I was intrigued by the decades of Sylvia’s letter writing passion.  Her world of written correspondence is the stuff of future Ken Burns documentaries whereas everyday text messages with a smattering of emojis will be lost forever.