Book Club Discussion Questions: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (+PDF Download)

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If you are looking for a good pick for your next book club, The Correspondent would make an excellent pick. For a book that is only about 300 pages, you will have a lot to discuss.

Why Choose The Correspondent for Your Next Book Club Read?

Not every book is book club worthy. For example, while mysteries and thrillers can be fun to read, there wouldn’t be that much to discuss (in most cases). For a book to work for a book club, you want a lot to be able to discuss, which means you need interesting and complex characters who sometimes make controversial decisions.

With these qualifiers, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans qualifies 100%. I think this would make a great book club selection because there is so much to discuss.

The Correspondent is a book told entirely through letters and emails written to and from the main character, Sybil Van Antwerp. Sybil is a retired law clerk living in Virginia outside the Washington, D.C. area. Through the letters written to and from her, we learn about her life pre-retirement as well as what she’s going through at present.

Read my full review of The Correspondent here.

(If you want these questions in a PDF download, grab them through the link below.)

30+ The Correspondent Book Club Discussion Questions

IMPORTANT NOTE: These book club discussion questions assume you have read the book, and therefore, they DO INCLUDE SPOILERS. Proceed with caution.

The Book, Letter Writing & Sybil

1. One of the things that makes The Correspondent so unique is that it is told entirely through letters and emails. Did you like this format? (Why or why not?) What about this format worked as a storytelling device? Did you think it fell short in any way?
2. Do you think the title fits the book? Why or why not?
3. What is it about a physical letter that makes it more meaningful than a text or an email?
4. How did letter writing help Sybil? Are there ways in which it may have hurt her?
5. Were there any letters you were surprised were letters and not phone calls?
6. One of the things the book seems to highlight is the struggle of losing certain functions as we age. Sybil really struggles to talk about this. Why do you think that is?
7. Does this book make you want to write more letters?
8. What letter was the most impactful for you? For the story?
9. When Sybil is helping Caroline Dobson (the high school girl) with her project, Caroline says to her, “I don’t think I have ever received a real letter.” What do you think of the fact that there is now at least an entire generation (Gen Z and maybe some younger Millennials ) who have never received a letter?
10. On p. 41, Sybil makes a case for letter writing by saying they are “pieces of a puzzle” and a way to preserve the story of one’s life. Do you agree?
11. Sybil says she doesn’t trust people who don’t read. How do you feel about people who don’t read?
12. If you knew Sybil in real life, would you like her? Why or why not?
13. Most of the book, we don’t know who the unsent letters are for, what role do these unsent letter play in the book?
14. Compare and contrast Sybil at the beginning of the book with the end of the book. How did she change? What were the main drivers of that change?

Family

1. The first family member we meet is Sybil’s brother Felix. What role does Felix play in Sybil’s life and in the story?
2. We find out that Sybil and Felix are both adopted. How did this fact affect her life?
3. Rosalie is arguably the second most significant character in the book. Do you agree or disagree? Discuss Sybil’s friendship and the role her letters play in the story and Sybil’s life.
4. How did the death of Gilbert change her life?
5. How did Gilbert’s death impact Bruce and Fiona?
6. Why did Gilbert’s death cause Sybil to push her other children away and not draw them closer?
7. Are you surprised that Daan and Sybil divorced? Why or why not?
8. Sybil made it clear that she didn’t want to do any traveling, so why was it important for her to go to Daan’s Funeral? And then why did she not go through with it?
   • Was Fiona justified in being mad at her for not going?
9. Are you surprised that Sybil’s relationship with Fiona is so strained? Why or why not?
10. Why does Sybil struggle with her newfound family? (See p.223)
11. How did this new family change her?

Non-Family Relationships

1. What non-family relationship surprised you the most?
2. Why did Sybil write to the authors? What role did these letters play in the story?
   • What surprised you about these letters?
   • Did the writers seem to enjoy receiving her letters?
3. Discuss Sybil’s relationship with Harry. Why did this friendship work?
   • Why do you think that Sybil was happy when Harry showed up? (p.96)
4. Which friendship of Sybil’s surprised you the most?
5. Why was Sybil more drawn to Mick than to Theodore initially?
6. What shifted in Sybil that made her more drawn to Theodore?
7. What is the lesson to learn from how Sybil handled the situation with Dezi’s father?
8. Why was Sybil so driven to help Basam (the rep from Kindred)?