Why people recommend it
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is a breakout epistolary novel that achieved widespread commercial and critical success. On The Book Review podcast, host Gilbert Cruz noted that he saw the book everywhere over his holiday break and highlighted its sustained success and long-running position at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. During her interview on the same podcast, author Virginia Evans explained to Gilbert Cruz that her book's epistolary format was directly inspired by her book club's delightful COVID-era reading experience of another classic book in letters, 84 Charing Cross Road. Tina Jordan also discussed the title on the podcast, identifying it as a quiet word-of-mouth hit published by Crown that ultimately turned into a major publishing phenomenon. The widespread attention paid to the novel across multiple episodes emphasizes its unique journey from a quiet release to a dominant cultural touchstone, driven by readers' ongoing appetite for epistolary narratives, engaging character perspectives, and stories that foster deep connections through the written word in modern publishing.
Who recommended it
- Gilbert Cruz Discussed
- Virginia Evans Discussed
- Tina Jordan Discussed
Gilbert Cruz — 3 mentions
“And one of the books that I saw everywhere over my holiday break was The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.”
“Obviously, it's a big deal to hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, but The Correspondent has been a success for many, many, many months.”
“Virginia Evans, author of The Correspondent. Thank you so much for joining the Book Review Podcast to talk about your wonderful book.”
Virginia Evans — 1 mention
“I had read a book in letters 84 chairing crossroad during COVID with my book club and it was such a delightful reading experience”
Tina Jordan — 1 mention
“So, one of them is The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. John knows more about this book than I do, but I think it came out last April or May. It was quiet. It was from Crown.”