The Correspondent
An epistolary literary novel told entirely through the letters and emails of Sybil Van Antwerp, a 73-year-old retired lawyer quietly losing her eyesight. The emotional weight comes from grief, guilt, and mortality rather than graphic content; the core tragedy involving the death of her son is revealed gradually across the book.
Chapters to know about
Unsent letters to Sybil's deceased son are woven through the entire book; the circumstances of his death and her guilt over it accumulate with each disclosure and form the novel's central emotional revelation.
Sybil's deteriorating eyesight is established early and quietly shapes every subsequent letter as she conceals it from family.
Cancer and terminal illness affecting people in Sybil's circle are mentioned across multiple letters spanning the book's timeline.