The Correspondent

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your first impression of Sybil Van Antwerp as a narrator? Did she draw you in right away, or did you need time to warm up to her voice?

2. How did the absence of a traditional plot affect your enjoyment of the novel? Did the letter form feel more engaging, or less?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. If you were to write daily letters, who would be your most frequent recipient, and what might those letters reveal about you?

2. Consider how letters create a slower, more deliberate form of communication. Do you want this kind of reflection in our current age of instant messages and emails?

3. Did the book change your perception of aging and how you might come to terms with the past later in life?

4. What emotions did the novel evoke in you most strongly: nostalgia, sadness, amusement, hope, or something else? Why?

5. Did Sybil’s reflections on her relationships—her children, marriage, divorce, and friends—make you consider your own differently?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How do you think Sybil’s story would have been different if she were a younger woman living in today’s world?

2. Do you see Sybil as a representative of her generation, or is she written as a uniquely individual voice? Does your assessment relate to her socioeconomic status?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Letters to famous figures such as Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry are sprinkled throughout the novel. What function do these serve in shaping a reader’s view of Sybil?

2. Consider the role of humor in the novel. How does it work alongside the exploration of grief and regret to give depth to Sybil’s character?

3. Each letter reveals only part of Sybil’s truth. How does this piecemeal revelation affect your trust in her as a narrator?

4. Would you describe the novel as more of a character study or as a mystery unfolding? Explain your choice.

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Choose a letter from the novel and adapt it into a spoken monologue. How does Sybil’s voice come alive differently when performed?

2. Create a visual map of Sybil’s correspondents, from her friends to authors to the institutions she writes to. Discuss how the web of her relationships shapes her identity.