Keep Me Posted is the first novel by American author, Lisa Beazley. One Christmas, Cassie and Sid Sunday decide they need to re-establish the close connection they had when they were growing up. Rather than regular communication by more modern means, they opt to write each other letters: the kind that need paper, pen, envelopes, stamps and a trip to the post box. What could go wrong?

Cassie (Cassandra Marie) Sunday is married to Leo Costa and they have twin three-year-old boys, Joey and Quinn. Leo’s job as IT manager for a chain of gyms gets him out and about, but since Cassie gave up her work as a magazine editor, her horizons have narrowed considerably.

Sid (Sidney Sue) Sunday is married to Adrian, whose banking job has taken them to Singapore to live with Sid’s son, River and their baby daughter, Lulu. With Adrian often absent on business trips, Sid involves herself with trying to better the lives of the Filipina help that many ex-pats employ.

In the spirit of honesty and openness between the sisters, their letters are completely candid: Sid comments of life as an ex-pat in Asia and other, more serious concerns; Cassie shares her frustrations about their too-small Manhattan West Village apartment, her disillusionment with full-time motherhood, her irritation with her perfect-mommy neighbour, her dislike of her in-laws, her dissatisfaction with her sex life and her encounters with an attractive ex-boyfriend.

If her plot is perhaps somewhat predictable, the execution is so well done that Beazley’s first novel is a very enjoyable read. The characters are appealing and even those who attract Cassie’s criticism have redeeming qualities. The banter between the characters is entertaining and the relationship between the sisters, and with the extended family, their shared history and their obvious love and care for each other is heartwarming.

There’s plenty of humour in this tale, but Beazley also touches on some topical contemporary issues. Cassie’s poor-me attitude, while it is perhaps understandable, will see some readers considering the inevitable disaster that ensues as just deserts. Certainly, this novel realistically illustrates the potentially far reaching effects of mishaps with the world wide web. This is an impressive debut novel and readers will look forward to more from this talented author. 4.5 stars