Discover the word-of-mouth bestselling phenomenon that thousands of readers are calling their favourite book of the year!
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2026
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
OVER TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025
AN IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
'A warm, funny gem of a novel'
LAURA HACKETT, THE TIMES
'Masterful . . . I was delighted and moved'
NEW YORK TIMES
'Immensely enjoyable'
GUARDIAN
'I can't praise it enough. It's an absolute triumph'
CLARE CHAMBERS
'What a novel! Tender, dry, sharp...devastating, but still feel good.'
PANDORA SYKES
'Tremendous'
FREDRIK BACKMAN
'Shows us what a glorious thing growing older can be'
FLORENCE KNAPP
'The year's breakout novel no one saw coming'
WALL STREET JOURNAL
–
Sybil Van Antwerp is seventy-three, slowly losing her sight and always writing letters . . .
To her children. Her favourite authors. Her ex-sister-in-law. The journalist poking into her past.
Her doctor. Suitors. Kindly neighbours. The infuriating gardening club.
All receive Sybil’s witty, wise correspondence, rich with everyday concerns.
But there is one letter that she has never sent. It concerns the darkest period of her life. To post it, Sybil must find forgiveness within herself.
The hardest letter to write is the one you’d never dare to send.
Author: Virginia Evans
Publication Date: 11-06-2026
Format: Paperback / softback
Pages: 320
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Height (mm): 196
Width (mm): 130
Length (mm): 22
How long until I get my order?
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For time-lines on international deliveries, please refer to our Shipping & Delivery Page.
*Please note that during peak trade times this time-line may increase.
How much is delivery?
We offer FREE delivery on all orders over €10 within the Republic of Ireland.
Delivery is just €3.95 for under under €10
Delivery starts from just €9 for orders to Northern Ireland and Great Britain
For international rates, please refer to our Shipping & Delivery Page.
Do you provide tracking for my order?
We provide a Tracking Reference for all orders placed online as standard.
Once your order is dispatched, you will receive an email with a custom An Post link to track your delivery every step of the way.
Can I cancel/amend my order once it’s placed?
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However, if you’ve made a mistake on your order and you’d like to change it, please contact our online team at customercare@bookstation.ie and we will try to fix this for you before your order is dispatched.
Once an order is shipped and in transit, we can no longer offer any amendments to your order.
SHIPPING
FREE delivery on all orders over €10* ✅
Orders dispatched within 2 working days ✅
An Post Tracking provided on all orders ✅
Republic of Ireland
*FREE on all orders over €10
€3.95 for orders under €10
UK & Northern Ireland
Shipping from just €7
*Republic of Ireland only.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
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New Zealand - Shipping from just €26
RETURNS
Judged a book by its cover?
Don’t worry - at Bookstation you can return your order for a full refund within 14 days of delivery providing:
The item is in re-saleable condition ✅
It’s within the 14 day Return Period ✅
You have a valid proof of purchase ✅

