A few weeks ago I dug into The Correspondent, a novel by Virginia Evans. After all, who doesn’t love a book built around a love of writing and using stationery?
Sybil van Antwerp is a retired court clerk, a lawyer in her own right, and a fierce lover of correspondence. Every morning she sits down and writes to those outside in the world around her, even as she becomes increasingly isolated from that world. Her stationery, fountain pens, and perfect penmanship are her steadfast companions and we learn more of her life, her regrets and triumphs through all her letters.
This book manages to both be incredibly sad, and incredibly uplifting at the same time. These days, most of my contact with my family and friends is through short emails, texts and maybe even just sharing of memes. What would it be like to exchange letters all your life long? I really enjoyed this one and I still find myself thinking about it, even weeks later.