The Correspondent

1. "But the worst dream, the one that repeats, is that I sit down at the desk to write and there is the stack of letter writing paper, there are my pens, there are the envelopes, and I'm pawing at them like a cat, but I cannot pick them up. . . . I can't write." Sybil states this early on in the narrative, about the dreams she is having as she deals with going blind. What did this tell you about her character early on?

2. Sybil is not only a fanatic for the art of letter writing but she holds classic forms of communication in high regard. What value do you see in these older forms of communicating? Are there things you wish were still mainstream that have been replaced by modern technology?

3. Sybil often remarks in her letters that they are follow-ups to phone calls or in lieu of calls so that she can compose her thoughts. What do you find are the benefits of writing out thoughts instead of a call? How do you think it helps Sybil to deal with the strained relationships in her life?

4. Sybil doesn't just communicate with her contemporaries but younger people as well. How did you notice her tone shift when addressing characters of various ages? How does Sybil present herself differently depending on who she is writing to? Which version feels most authentic to you?

5. Sybil writes to Joan Didion and Ann Patchett, among others. Which authors would you send letters to, whose work has impacted you the most?

6. When Sybil summarizes decades of her professional life in just a few sentences, what does this suggest about how we remember our own histories? How would you distill your own career or life story into a brief paragraph?

7. Did you have any theories about who the unsent pages throughout the novel were intended for?

8. Sybil ends up in quite a love triangle. Between Theodore and Mick, who were you rooting for, if any, for her to wind up with?

9. Were you shocked at Rosalie's relationship with Sybil's daughter? Did you see it as a betrayal, as Sybil calls it, or something more complicated?

10. When Sybil reveals the truth about Gilbert's death, how did this shift your understanding of her?