While you wait for The Correspondent
Virginia Evan’s debut book, The Correspondent, has climbed up the holds list here at the library. This novel is told in epistolary form where the story unfolds through a series of letters, diary entries and other forms of correspondence.
Over the course of her life Sybil Van Antwerp has been an avid writer of letters because they help her make sense of the world. She writes to family, friends, authors and to one person who Sybil never actually sends her letter.
When Sybil receives a letter from someone in her past memories from her most painful periods of life are brought to light. She knows it’s time to offer forgiveness and that the letter she’s never sent must finally be read.
Highly reviewed by readers The Correspondent is a novel worth waiting to read. While you wait out the holds list there are plenty of books waiting for you at the library. I have a few recommendations to keep you happily reading.
Gilead by Marilyn Robinson
If you’re a lover of epistolary novels already, you’ve likely read Gilead. If not, give this novel a go to see what the from is all about. Gilead won the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 so you know there’s a powerful story to read with this book.
Reverend John Ames knows his time left on Earth is short so he begins writing to his young son. In his letters Reverend Ames tells the story of his life detailing his past, faith and the history of his family.
Tensions ran high between Reverand Ames' father, a pacifist, and his grandfather, a man who fought for abolition in Kansas. His family’s history shaped Reverend Ames, leading him to struggle to find his own sense of morality and spiritual devotion. Reverend Ames' namesake John Ames Boughton is his best friend's troubled son. This young man adds another strained layer to the relationships shaping the Reverend’s life.
This novel speaks to the wisdom of Reverend Ames as he nears his end and reveals that history will always find its way into the present, unwilling to be forgotten. Like The Correspondent, this novel reveals the power letter writing can have when it comes to understanding our lives and reflecting on our where our decisions lead us.
“Gilead is a refuge for readers longing for that increasingly rare work of fiction, one that explores big ideas while telling a good story.” ― Olivia Boler, San Francisco Chronicle
A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz
A family of three originally from Brooklyn, New York, experiences a culture shock when they move to the small town of Goodnight, Kansas. Sid Solvang and his family inherited a Victorian home in Kansas. Without work in Brooklyn the family is packing their bags to move. As soon as they pull into town all eyes are on them because no one voluntarily moves to Goodnight.
Sid is trying to find a way back to Brooklyn. However, when a legendary local diner faces the threat of demolition, Sid impulsively buys the place and puts his chef skills to use to try and save the diner from ruin.
Meanwhile, Sid’s daughter is sorting through cryptic messages her grandfather left behind before passing. She believes these messages may be the only thing that can save her family and the town of Goodnight.
Getz’s take on the epistolary format looks a bit different from Evan’s take, but both stories will unfold and reveal to you that sometimes the right thing to do requires you to face challenges you would rather avoid.
"Some books reach the world just when they're needed most. A Town with Half the Lights On is that book. This clever tribute to small towns, big hearts and the people who make life worth living will renew your faith in humanity and make you long for a Goodnight, Kansas of your own." ― Lucy Gilmore, author of The Lonely Hearts Book Club
Hey Harry, Hey Matilda by Rachel Hulin
This debut novel from Hulin is told entirely through email communication between fraternal twins Harry and Matilda. It takes on a more humorous tone than The Correspondent, but both works reveal the complexities of life.
Matilda is a wedding photographer just barely making ends meet. Her feelings of being a failed artist are coupled with her worries about the lie she told her boyfriend. Though Matilda’s twin brother Harry is very much alive, she told her boyfriend he was dead, which isn’t a lie that’s easy to explain away.
Harry is a writer and professor of literature. He’s fallen for one of his students at the university and begins a relationship with her that could raise questions. To make matters more complicated Harry takes a risky career move that there’s no coming back from if things go wrong.
As their decisions catch up to Matilda and Harry, the twins email one another detailing their concerns and anxieties about the way their lives are shaping up amid their humor-filled sibling banter.
There is so much more to Matilda and Harry’s story than the decisions they make and you don’t want to miss out on it. You will be quickly invested as you read to understand who the twins are and more importantly who they want to be.
" charming epistolary novel for the digital age... With wit and finely tuned insights into the pressures of love, family and society, the author creates vibrant characters filled with palpable longings." — Kim Hubbard, People
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Aleisha works at a library and one day she finds a secret list of books hidden in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. She’s not heard of any of the novels on the list but impulsively decides to read every one of them.
Mukesh is recently widowed and worried about his granddaughter Priya who spends all her free time hiding out in her room reading. Desperate to forge a connection with her, Mukesh goes to the library to find books for his granddaughter.
When Aleisha meets Mukesh and understands his troubles, she passes on the secret book list she found. Slowly the shared book list creates connections between them and they forge a path toward finding joy again.
While this novel is not written in epistolary form, it is one you should still check out while you wait for The Correspondent because of how it examines the power written words hold. Both letters and novels have the power to transport us to different times and places and allow us to connect with one another in deeper ways.
“If you love books, read this. If you love people, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness, and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else's life, read this.” ― Debbie Johnson, bestselling author of Maybe One Day
