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Virginia Evans: "The Correspondent"

 "The Correspondent" is an unusual mystery story. Sybil has a secret about her past; the secret rears its head in the present. In the present, family relationships are strained and Sybil herself sometimes behaves in odd ways. Sybil's daughter--Fiona--is determined to solve the mystery.


Fiona enlists the help of a family friend, Rosalie. But Sybil sees this bond as a kind of betrayal. Ruptures occur; Rosalie keeps pushing. In a heroic display of self-control, Sybil decides to make a change. She hears her friend; she recognizes good intentions. She offers a confession. All is (sort of) well.

As the family story unspools itself, little subplots pop up. These are like the victim stories on "The Pitt." A Syrian desk worker tries to climb the professional ladder in the United States. A beleaguered Dean of English considers allowing non-students to audit courses at the University of Maryland. Joan Didion--yes, Joan Didion!--seeks editorial feedback for her draft of "Blue Nights."

Some subplots are more successful than others. Sybil's "romance woes" seem contrived--and self-consciously "cute."

I really enjoyed the oddness of this book. Characters read novels--then communicate about the novels. (Amazing how rare this is in a book.) Official correspondence is important--but intriguing *unsent* letters also play a role. I also very much liked the newspaper articles--and the "manifest" from a ship crossing the ocean in the early 1900s.

Bold, delightful novel--worthy of the hype.
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