Exploring the Books Mentioned in Virginia Evans’s ‘The Correspondent’

Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent is an epistolary novel—a story told through letters. It explores the life of Sybil van Antwerp, who’s a 73-year-old retired lawyer, literary enthusiast, mother, grandmother, ex-wife, sister, adopted daughter, and, above all, dedicated pen pal. Throughout her life, she writes to various authors, sometimes gets letters back from them, and also shares her thoughts with other recipients about other books she’s read. Bursting with literary references, the novel has been called a love letter to book lovers. If you loved The Correspondent and would like to explore some of the referenced titles to more fully appreciate Sybil’s insights, or to find out how they might impact you, here’s a list that compiles many of the titles mentioned. Maybe you’ll be inspired to write some letters about them!

Book lovers know how impactful certain reads can be. Readers often return to the same title multiple times within their lives, gleaning something new each time. Occasionally you find the most perfect read at just the right time in your life. Other times, you may pick up a book and realize it just isn’t the right fit, but maybe you’ll return to it at a later date.  The list of titles that emerges through Sybil’s letters over the course of her lifetime in The Correspondent comprises a catalog of books that offer different resonances for readers of various ages and circumstances. As Ranganathan states in his 2nd law of librarianship: Every reader his/her book. Books are evergreen: they signify different things to readers at different stage of their lives.