What I Took From The Correspondent

What I Took From The Correspondent

There’s something about a story set in Maryland that just hits different when you actually live here. Reading The Correspondent, the setting didn’t feel like a backdrop; it felt like home. I could easily picture myself living in a house with a view of the Severn River. That is the kind of view I can’t imagine ever regretting.

The whole novel is told through letters, and it really works. You don’t just meet these characters; you hear them in their own voices. You get to know their silences and the way they keep coming back to each other over time. It’s less about big, dramatic moments and more about the way understanding builds up, one conversation at a time.

The family dynamics are complicated, messy, but still loyal. There’s history sitting right under the surface of every letter, and the author doesn’t feel the need to over-explain it. It’s that shared language families have where you don’t have to spell everything out because you’ve already lived it together.

Finishing the book made me think about staying connected to people through the years. It’s a great reminder that just paying attention — consistently, over time — is one of the best ways we stay tethered to the people who matter.