I first heard of Lisa McKay and her book Love at the Speed of Email on Novel Rocket, where she wrote about why she chose to self-publish this memoir. In case you missed it, you can read about it here. I was intrigued by the notion that her story had too much God to please secular publishers, not enough to please Christian ones. I wanted to know more, so I read her book.

 Lisa lives a life many women would envy. Her nomadic childhood has morphed into a nomadic adulthood, which she’s augmented with a formidable amount of education, all of which has added up to a successful career as a stress management trainer for humanitarian aid workers. On top of that, she’s recently published her first novel. Though she holds both Canadian and Australian passports, she lives in Los Angeles—or does when she’s not traipsing the globe as part of her job. As she turns 31, though, Lisa wonders if what she has is enough—especially as those closest to her are marrying, having children, settling down. Making homes. What does home mean? she wonders. Is it a place…or a person…or both? While she’s asking herself these questions, an unexpected email arrives from an intriguing stranger—and together, they find answers to her questions that change both their lives.

From start to finish, I loved Love at the Speed of Email. In this thoughtful memoir, Lisa has proven herself to be an exceptional writer and a gifted storyteller. Her skill does not stop with the words strung deftly across the page. It continues into her exploration of human character and her razor-sharp insights of the human condition.

Lisa writes with bold authenticity and breath-taking vulnerability. She’s candid about past romantic relationships, but even more revealing about those aspects of her persona that move and challenge and humble her. At the same time, she knows how to tell a delightful vignette, many of which had me laughing out loud. You’ll know what I mean when you read about her taxi ride with a driver named Bunny.

There were also many aha moments for me to identify with, such as: “I had always thought that being a ‘grown-up’ would mean actually feeling that confidence. By the time I landed in Kenya, I was starting to think it just meant being better at pretending.”

And of course, novel-lover that I am, I resonated with this: “Many people seem to view ‘real life’ as the gold standard by which to interpret stories, but I don’t think that does novels justice. For me, at least, the relationship between the real and fictional worlds was reciprocal. These books named emotions, pointed to virtue, and vice, and led me into a deeper understanding of things I had already witnessed and experienced myself. They also let me try on, like a child playing dress-up, experiences and notions new to me. They acted as maps, mirrors, and magnifying glasses.”

But perhaps what I liked most was her honest grappling with her faith as she leaves simple childhood beliefs for a complex, mature Christian faith–one that embraces the hard truth that we cannot know all the answers to life’s toughest questions. As I read Lisa’s story, my list of people who had to read this book grew. All in all, I felt I was connecting with a kindred spirit with whom, should we ever find ourselves on the same continent, I would love to share an evening of memorable conversation over a bottle of red wine. Lisa McKay has written a deeply relatable, moving memoir.

And I have to say I love the happy ending. 🙂

4.5/5 stars. Outstanding.

If you’d like to purchase Love at the Speed of Email you may buy it here.