By Carmela DeVito
Book Reviews
Carmela DeVito
With failing eyesight, Sybil resorts to all methods of correspondence (letters, emails, texts, etc.) to stay in contact with her children, friends, family (particularly her daughter Fiona with whom she has a strained relationship) and acquaintances.
Sybil learns of the death of a former colleague and is asked to speak at his funeral service. After the service, her son gives her a DNA test for Christmas. This is how she learns of a possible genetic match in Scotland. She becomes a caretaker of sorts to a teenage boy and his father who was at a loss about how to help his son following a suicide attempt. She learns of her daughter Fiona’s pregnancy through an email. She also finds herself in the throws of two men she met online and is quite surprised that at her advanced age (77) she still inspires interest with the opposite sex.
While the majority of Sybil’s emails have been appropriate, she receives some from a poster that are foreboding and threatening. Through some internet investigation, she learns the identity of the poster and the issue is resolved to Sybil’s satisfaction.
Sybil’s letters and emails have far-reaching results. She encourages an employee at the genetics company to search for a better job. She makes amends with her best friend who, in Sybil’s mind, committed an egregious error in judgement. She establishes a relationship with her Scotland genetic match. She reconciles with Fiona and explains why she was so resistant in developing a closer relationship with her. She gracefully turns down one suitor while continuing to engage with the other.
There is so much to savor in this novel. Relationships in all their presentations, loss, grief, growth and changes are all intertwined in this marvelous book. I particularly enjoyed all the literary references strewn throughout Sybil’s correspondence. This is easily one of my favorite books of 2026.
Carmela DeVito, a voracious reader with a journalism degree from Marquette University, is a retired social worker and a member of the Friends of the Milford Library.