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The Correspondent: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.71) - 7 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
An intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love.
“Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle, or, a better metaphor, if dated, the links of a long chain, and even if those links are never put back together, which they will certainly never be, even if they remain for the rest of time dispersed across the earth like the fragile blown seeds of a dying dandelion, isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?”
Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.
Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has—a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.
Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime. Sybil Van Antwerp’s life of letters might be “a very small thing,” but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.
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"This is one of the best books I have listened to ever. The book is written as a series of letters between the main character and a variety of people, including relatives, friends, authors, neighbors and even her eye doctor. Each character in the audiobook is voiced by a different person, and that created a profoundly rich listening experience. In addition, the book is one of the few that, as soon as I finished, I wanted to read again. I listened to it ravenously, but now I will read it as a print book, more slowly, savoring the relationships she has with authors, and taking time to read or reread the books that are referenced in The Correspondent. "
— JuliaD (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Maggi-Meg Reed is at the top of her game in her nuanced portrayal of Sybil Van Antwerp…Thanks to outstanding narrations, responses to her letters allow each correspondent to emerge as a fully realized individual. Beautiful prose and amazing performances make this audiobook one listeners won’t want to miss. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
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“A dash of mystery that keeps the pages flying.”
— Washington Post -
“A novel of connection and daring.”
— Adriana Trigani, author of The Good Left Undone
Awards
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An April 2025 LibraryReads Pick
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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An Amazon Editors' Pick in Fiction
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A New York Times Bestseller
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Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
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A PBS Pick of Top Summer Books
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A New York Times Bestseller in Audio
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Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
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A Washington Post Best Book of 2025
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A Christian Science Monitor Best Book of 2025
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A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year
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An Elle Magazine Pick of 2025's Best Books
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Finalist for the Audie Award for Best Fiction Narration
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Finalist for the Audie Award for Best Ensemble Narration
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Longlisted for the Patterson/Bookshop.org Prize
The Correspondent Listener Reviews
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Maro Petrou, 3/20/2026
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Barbara Stratton, 3/16/2026
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" I wish I could go back and listen to it for the first time. I loved it! "
— Ellen, 2/7/2026 -
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Meriel corbett-weir, 2/6/2026
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Brenda walsh, 1/12/2026
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" I truly enjoyed this book and loved how the main character, Sybil, evolved. I do wish that all of the repetition of addresses when letters were sent email addresses/subject lines/dates and times were somehow handled differently. If you read the physical book you could have skimmed over these but listening to them got monotonous. Otherwise, fantastic read!! "
— Jenny888, 10/27/2025
About Virginia Evans
Virginia Evans is from the east coast of the United States. She attended James Madison University for her bachelor’s degree in English literature, as well as Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, for her master’s of philosophy in creative writing.
About the Narrators
Maggi-Meg Reed has performed as an actress and singer both on and off-Broadway. She is a narrator of many popular audiobooks, including A Very Long Engagement and The Time Traveler’s Wife. She is the winner of several AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Bleak December Inc. is a multimedia company founded by Canadian actor and filmmaker Anthony D.P. Mann.
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.
Carly Robins is an actress, narrator, and voice-over artist. She can be heard in commercials, video games, and promos. She comes to audiobook narration with a passion for performance along with the capability to span several genres, from romance to children’s literature and thrillers.
Peter Ganim, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an American actor who has appeared on stage, on television, and in film. He has performed voice-over work since 1994.
David Pittu, a two-time Tony Award nominee, has narrated dozens of audiobooks, including Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, which earned two prestigious Audie Awards for best narration. He has also won three Earphones Awards. Well-known for his work in theater, he has appeared off-Broadway in LoveMusik and Is He Dead, for which he received his Tony nominations, as well as Parade, for which he earned a National Broadway Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He is also a writer, member, and director of the Atlantic Theater company.
Chris Andrew Ciulla, an Earphones Award–winning narrator with over 350 credits, is an on-screen actor, voice actor, host, boxing analyst, and radio personality. He has performed characters for the popular video game series Fallout and Mafia, and can be heard frequently voicing commercial campaigns. A versatile performer with over twenty-five years of experience, he produces original audio content under his own production banner, Leonardo Audio.
Mark Bramhall has won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, more than thirty AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has repeatedly been named by AudioFile magazine and Publishers Weekly among their “Best Voices of the Year.” He is also an award-winning actor whose acting credits include off-Broadway, regional, and many Los Angeles venues as well as television, animation, and feature films. He has taught and directed at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.
Petrea Burchard grew up in northern Illinois, where farm meets university, making her a townie with a love for animals, nature, and books. Petrea's stage experience covers everything from Second City comedy to Shakespeare, and her resume includes television, film, and voice-over work. Along with articles and short stories she has published a novel, Camelot & Vine, and a book of comic essays. When she's not narrating audiobooks, Petrea loves to travel. But a hike in the mountains with her husband and their pit bull, Melly, is as good as a weekend in Paris.
Robert Petkoff is an actor and audiobook narrator who has won a prestigious Audie Award and multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice. He has appeared on Chappelle’s Show, Law & Order, and Quantum Leap. His Broadway credits include Sir Robin in Spamalot, Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof, and Tateh in Ragtime.
Kimberly Farr is an actress and winner of more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards for narration. In 2025 she was named a Golden Voice, AudioFile magazine’s lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. She has appeared on Broadway and at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Roundabout Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons, and the American Place. She created the role of “Eve” in Arthur Miller’s first and only musical, Up from Paradise, which was directed by the author. She appeared with Vanessa Redgrave in the Broadway production of The Lady from the Sea and has acted in regional theaters across the country, including a performance in the original production of The 1940’s Radio Hour at Washington, DC’s Arena Stage.
Nicholas Guy Smith, an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a highly rated and diverse voice-over actor who has been heard in feature films, television commercials, and video games. He has voiced characters for Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, and the Cartoon Network.
Peter Ganim, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an American actor who has appeared on stage, on television, and in film. He has performed voice-over work since 1994.
Kimberly Woods is an actress and producer, known for Crazed, Heartprints, and Cartoon Hook-Ups.
Marie Lu is the author of the New York Times bestselling series The Young Elites, as well as the blockbuster bestselling Legend series. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist before becoming a full-time writer.