Today's Read Contributor In an inspiring and unconventional author journey, debut novelist Virginia Evans has quickly become one of 2025’s literary breakout successes. Her epistolary novel, The Correspondent, which was published in April 2025, has taken the literary world by surprise. Despite initially modest traction, the novel has gained remarkable momentum, eventually landing on bestseller lists and selling over 250,000 hardcover copies by its 14th printing.
Evans’s path to publication was anything but typical. After completing a creative writing program in Dublin, she spent much of the pandemic writing several unpublished manuscripts. The process of writing in isolation, which began as a personal exercise in the letter format, eventually transformed into the novel The Correspondent, a deeply personal and insightful exploration of identity, memory, and human connection. The novel tells the story of a woman who chronicles her life through letters, creating a poignant narrative that captures the essence of personal reflection and emotional vulnerability.
The book’s rise to success wasn’t fueled by a viral social media campaign or major publicity stunts, but rather by a slow, steady build of word-of-mouth endorsements. Evans attributes much of her success to the support of established authors such as Ann Patchett and Florence Knapp, whose endorsements helped to elevate her work. She believes that this experience highlights the importance of persistence, the continuous honing of one’s craft, and the unpredictable nature of how a book’s momentum can grow over time.
Despite the growing influence of digital media, the novel’s success among book clubs and independent bookstores suggests that traditional print still holds significant value in today’s rapidly evolving publishing landscape. The appeal of The Correspondent seems to resonate deeply with readers who appreciate the tactile and emotional connection that physical books provide. Evans’s story serves as a reminder that while the publishing world may be disrupted by new technologies, the enduring power of storytelling remains at its core.
Looking ahead, Virginia Evans is already working on her second manuscript, which will take readers through a multi-generational narrative. For both readers and aspiring authors, Evans’s journey offers an important lesson: that debut success can come from the most unexpected places. The key, she believes, is that a story must resonate deeply with its audience—and when it does, it has the potential to touch lives and capture imaginations. Evans’s story proves that with persistence, dedication to craft, and a little bit of luck, success can emerge in the most surprising of ways.
