Rating:
3.5

In a nutshell:
Sybil is a retired, divorced law clerk who writes letters (and occasionally emails) to pretty much anyone and everyone. We get a look at the letters she sends (and receives) over the course of a decade.

Best for:
Those who enjoy small stories that take place over longer periods of time.

Quote that made me think:
N/A (which is kind of surprising)

Why I chose it:
Book club.

Review:
This is an interesting way to tell someone’s story. It is mostly in Sybil’s own words, but so much is not included. It spans a decade, and we probably get no more than 20 letters each year. Letters will reference phone calls and such, which makes sense as no one communicates solely via correspondence, but its interesting what the author chooses to include and chooses to leave out.

There are a few different ‘plots’ – Sybil’s relationship with her adult children, her own adoption, the loss of a child, navigating a progressive illness (among other things). And they weave in as one would expect – not everything a person deals with is the forefront of every conversation or thought. But I think what I enjoyed most is seeing real character development across a decade when some folks might argue people have sort of solidified into who they are going to be. Sybil is in her post-retirement life, and at times herself wonders what she’s doing. But she is able to grow and change. She doesn’t become someone entirely different, but she allows herself the chance to learn and grow in her relationships.

This book took a bit of time for me to get into, and while on the one hand one could just pause at any time since each letter is usually two pages, and at most four. But one thing I disliked was the lack of chapters. I felt I needed to really set aside time to read it, which perhaps the author intended, but that meant for the first week or so I just avoided reading it if I only had 20 minutes or so.

Would I recommend it to its target audience:
Sure