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The End of LonelinessFrom internationally bestselling author Benedict Wells, a sweeping novel of love and loss, and of the lives we never get to live " D]azzling storytelling The End of Loneliness is both affecting and accomplished and eternal." John Irving Jules Moreau's childhood is shattered after the sudden death of his parents. Enrolled in boarding school where he and his siblings, Marty and Liz, are forced to live apart, the once vivacious and fearless Jules
From internationally bestselling author Benedict Wells, a sweeping novel of love and loss, and of the lives we never get to live " D]azzling storytelling...The End of Loneliness is both affecting and accomplished -- and eternal."--John Irving Jules Moreau's childhood is shattered after the sudden death of his parents. Enrolled in boarding school where he and his siblings, Marty and Liz, are forced to live apart, the once vivacious and fearless Jules retreats inward, preferring to live within his memories - until he meets Alva, a kindred soul caught in her own grief. Fifteen years pass and the siblings remain strangers to one another, bound by tragedy and struggling to recover the family they once were. Jules, still adrift, is anchored only by his desires to be a writer and to reunite with Alva, who turned her back on their friendship on the precipice of it becoming more. But, just as it seems they can make amends for time wasted, invisible forces - whether fate or chance - intervene. A kaleidoscopic family saga told through the fractured lives of the three Moreau siblings, alongside a faltering, recovering love story, The End of Loneliness is a stunning meditation on the power of our memories, of what can be lost and what can never be let go. With inimitable compassion and luminous, affecting prose, Benedict Wells contends with what it means to find a way through life, while never giving up hope you will find someone to go with you.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 01/29/2019
ISBN: 9780143134008
Pages: 272
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.40w x 0.80d
Review Citations: Shelf Awareness 02/01/2019
Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2018
Booklist 11/01/2018 pg. 16
Publishers Weekly 11/05/2018
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4.8 ★★★★★
Based on 28 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Successful Epistolary Novel
Format: Kindle
When we first meet Sybil Van Antwerp, age 73, she is retired from law and spends a lot of time writing letters and emails. She also reads a lot and is interested in what her correspondents are reading. She has children and grandchildren, but she lives alone in Annapolis, Maryland, and doesn’t see her family very often. During the course of reading her correspondence, we very gradually learn about Sybil—her history and her present troubles. She is a complicated character and several times in reading The Correspondent I paused to ask myself what I thought of Sybil—did I like her? What about her kept me from the immediate response a reader usually has about the main character of a book? Even at the end of the book, I am still ambivalent about Sybil, but I certainly understand her much better.
Sybil, herself, and the book have so many layers. There is true depth to the story. My book club took deep dives into it over a period of three weeks, and I don’t think we have sampled all the topics represented in this book. It is a wonderful novel for stimulating meaningful discussion.
Neurodivergence is not called out or named, but it comes to mind in thinking about Harry, a child who is the son of a judge, a former colleague of Sybil. The boy doesn’t quite fit in socially with his peers, but he is brilliant. Sybil makes the perfect “pen pal” for Harry because they have some of the same characteristics. As a child she was punished for “insolence and rudeness,” but her parents were just trying to mold her into a polite young lady as expected by society. She was blunt and didn’t have many friends.
There are so many other issues worthy of discussion, but they would most certainly bring up spoilers. I won’t do that to you. Readers should have the opportunity to see the story gradually emerge from the letters, including a continuing one that the reader doesn’t know to whom Sybil is writing. Sybil sets the word “stone” for secrets, and there are stones in this book making it a puzzle, a mystery of sorts—for the reader.
As a reviewer, I tend to go quickly from one book to the next as soon as I have composed and published my thoughts. Characters in various books can even blend together. This is not the case with The Correspondent. The characters in this book, especially Sybil, have stayed with me and come to mind frequently as I go through my day. Virginia Evans has created a fictional world with impact. Just as Sybil needed time (years in her case) to process the events of her life, the reader will need time to process them and their effects on Sybil as well.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Loving it so far
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
I really didn't know what to expect with a book full of names, but I love a murder mystery & needed more post work hobbies, so I thought this would be interesting & was I right. This book has been so engaging and keeps my mind in a good focused place instead of the usual dissociation after a stressful day of work or doom scrolling. It was nice to come up with my own little system as to how I would solve the clues on each page & keep track of everything. If you're interested in puzzles, or just need something interesting to keep busy, I feel this is a great concept to solve a mystery. 100% would recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Love it
Format: Paperback
Excellent book. Whole I was watching Tik Tok so.eone gave the answer and ruined my chance to finish it. I was within 1 to 2 days of solving it. Fun and challenging.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
★★★★★ 5
So much fun! And typos have been fixed!
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
This was so much fun! Some reviews will mention that the solution is spoiled at the end or there is some misspellings but it should be fixed. In the book you get an option to go to her blog. I 100% recommend checking that and it’s where you will check your answer! I got my whole family into this book and everyone is enjoying finding the name. I definitely recommend if you want to work on something that challenges your brain!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026
★★★★★ 5
SO MUCH FUN!!
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
Just started it but.....This book has been so much fun. Not just for me but my husband and kids keep stealing it from me. So now I have to order more for them.... highly recommend if you are into mystery puzzles. Best one yet... can't wait to see more editions come out!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2026