A lovely story that held all the marks of a real person full of real faults, discovering late in life that there's still more to be seen.
I can't remember the last time I shot through a book so fast. 6 days it took me to read (fast for me). I think it's partly due to the technical nature of the book. Specifically, it's written as (the title would suggest) correspondents from Sybil (the main character) and the people she writes to.
Due to this structure, there's really no particular moments when the story has any "what's next" moments, but rather just flows from letter to letter. Although it is written as a series of disjointed letters, it works really well and at no point did I feel lost - even when the letter starts, if it's addressed to Sybil, unless it's an email, you don't really know who it's from until the clues in the letter.
Sybil is in her twilight years and has enjoyed a good career and when we meet her she really isn't looking for much other than exchanging letters with her friends, family and others.
One thing is very clear from the letters and the book: Sybil is flawed, but in ways that we can see as the reader, but she doesn't see from her perspective. In ways that are frustrating but don't (or didn't to me) come across as contrived for the story. I've known people with these kinds of blind spots. I can imagine myself being just as stubborn.
I really enjoyed reading the book, it ends a little cliche but not so much in a sickly way. Although my last two books were centred entirely around 70+ year old characters so I think the next book will have to try to be a little different!
1 Highlight
Grief shared, I think, can produce two outcomes. Either you bind yourselves together and hold on for dear life, or you let go and up goes a wall too high to be crossed.