CLICK HERE FOR AN AUDIOBOOK COPY 

Join us for an in-person Book Club Discussion & Themed Tasting Experience on Sunday, May 17th from 11-1 pm at Patina Wine Bar in Park Ridge!

This adventure is inspired by Layered Drinks (Reveal flavor as you sip each layer!) & features The Correspondent by Virginia Evans & PRE-READING IS RECOMMENDED FOR THIS EVENT…

Local Book Lovers will gather to discuss the featured book at Patina Wine Bar in Park Ridge (112 S Prospect Ave), where they can also get a taste of some delicious themed bevys + bites inspired by the characters, plots and settings of the story while we mingle! A *MINI BOOK FAIR POP-UP* with curated books and reading pairings will be set up for shopping after the event, so guests can stock up on their favorite bookish goodies to take home with them. All attendees will get a TAKE-AWAY GIFT + EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS FROM OUR BOOKTIQUE too...

NOTE: EACH $15 TICKET PURCHASED ABOVE INCLUDES THE BOOK DISCUSSION, SPECIAL THEMED TREAT FROM OUR BOOKTIQUE & VIRTUAL COUPON FOR SHOPPING. BOOK CLUB ATTENDEES CAN OPT TO PAY FOR THE *OPTIONAL* ADDITIONAL DRINK/FOOD TASTING THE NIGHT OF THE EVENT!

With each Book Club sign up, you can choose to purchase a physical copy of the featured book(s) to read before we meet in-person (CLICK THE CHECKBOX(ES) TO ADD A COPY OF THE BOOK(S) TO YOUR ORDER), decide to download an audiobook from the link below before the event, OR opt to grab your book(s) from the library / share your book(s) with a friend.

BOOK SYNOPSIS

LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE AND THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL / A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Elle, Christian Science Monitor, She Reads

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as “A cause for celebration” - 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... 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?”

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 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.

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.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Grown-Ups

OUR BOOKS ARE LISTED BY AGE GROUP to indicate that the content is engaging and appropriate for those selected ages. PLEASE NOTE: They may not be the appropriate reading level for every individual at those ages or may extend beyond the brackets.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Publisher: Crown

Publish Date: April 29, 2025

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 9.4 X 6.5 X 1.1 inches | 1.1 pounds

Language: English

Type: Hardcover 

Condition: NEW

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TASTINGS CALENDAR

MAY 9 (4-6 PM) THE BOOKBINDER'S SECRET @ HACKNEY'S PUB IN GLENVIEW

MAY 17 (11-1 PM) THE CORRESPONDENT @ PATINA WINE BAR IN PARK RIDGE

MAY 31 (4-6 PM) IT'S NOT HER @ THE FOXTAIL ON THE LAKE IN DES PLAINES

(CLICK THE LINKS ABOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH EVENT)