The Frequency of Us
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- Create Date：2021-06-20 04:41:10
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：Keith Stuart
- ISBN：0751572942
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Summary
Enthralling， a real thing of beauty。 Dazzling' -- JOSIE SILVER
In Second World War Bath， young， naïve wireless engineer Will meets German refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated， witty and wordly， and at last his life seems to make sense 。 。 。 until， soon after， the newly married couple's home is bombed， and Will awakes from the wreckage to find himself alone。
No one has heard of Elsa Klein。 They say he was never married。
Seventy years later， Laura is a social worker battling her way out of depression and off medication。 Her new case is a strange， isolated old man whose house hasn't changed since the war。 A man who insists his wife vanished many， many years before。 Everyone thinks he's suffering dementia。 But Laura begins to suspect otherwise 。 。 。
From Keith Stuart， author of the much-loved Richard & Judy bestseller A Boy Made of Blocks， comes a stunning， emotional novel about an impossible mystery and a true love that refuses to die。
In Second World War Bath， young， naïve wireless engineer Will meets German refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated， witty and wordly， and at last his life seems to make sense 。 。 。 until， soon after， the newly married couple's home is bombed， and Will awakes from the wreckage to find himself alone。
No one has heard of Elsa Klein。 They say he was never married。
Seventy years later， Laura is a social worker battling her way out of depression and off medication。 Her new case is a strange， isolated old man whose house hasn't changed since the war。 A man who insists his wife vanished many， many years before。 Everyone thinks he's suffering dementia。 But Laura begins to suspect otherwise 。 。 。
From Keith Stuart， author of the much-loved Richard & Judy bestseller A Boy Made of Blocks， comes a stunning， emotional novel about an impossible mystery and a true love that refuses to die。
Reviews
Alteredego
，
During WWII a bomb falls on Bath with terrible consequences for young couple Will and Elsa。 In 2007 Laura is a psychologically damaged young woman， desperately trying to overcome anxiety。 Employed by a family friend as a private sector care worker， she is sent to assess a lonely old man living alone in a decaying house。 He seems to be slipping into dementia， living on false memories of what happened during the war。 The two stories are told in parallel as they， inevitably， intertwine。My first imp During WWII a bomb falls on Bath with terrible consequences for young couple Will and Elsa。 In 2007 Laura is a psychologically damaged young woman， desperately trying to overcome anxiety。 Employed by a family friend as a private sector care worker， she is sent to assess a lonely old man living alone in a decaying house。 He seems to be slipping into dementia， living on false memories of what happened during the war。 The two stories are told in parallel as they， inevitably， intertwine。My first impression of the Frequency of Us is of a book which has been painstakingly crafted。 One can almost feel the detailed care which has been lavished on it to create the robust oak frame of the plot， every joint， handworked， fitting to perfection。 Over that， author Keith Stuart has draped the precisely drawn upholstery of his characters to create a comfortable sofa of a book。 I am afraid， however， that this is what this book is。 It is the work of a craftsman， but as such， it lacks a something， the spark which will make it really live， turn it into a work of artThere are many elements contributing to this。 If one were to be kind， one might describe it as genre busting。 I fear， however， that it doesn’t really know what it is。 Is it speculative fiction？ There are certainly elements of horror and sci-fi。 Is it trying to be a character driven literary work， or a plot driven pot boiler。（My feeling is that ultimately it is the latter dressing itself in the clothes of the former。） Is it yet another in the growing genre of mental illness fiction？ （Eleanor Oliphaunt is definitely standing in the shadows）As I read the book I kept being reminded of others， some good， some bad， which would seem to have been an influences。 The closest point if reference would probably be Kate Atkinson， who would have carried the whole thing off more elegantly。 There is a certain clunkiness to this book，both from the clearly visible plot mechanics， and from the uneven flow。 It is one of those books where momentum seems to be developing， but then an unnecessary descriptive passage puts the brakes on。 Conversely， I was also reminded of the truly awful Silent Patient， both through the slightly dodgy portrayal of mental illness， and through the attempt to build momentum by ending staccato chapters with irritating little cliff hanger hooks。 As I have intimated， Laura bears a definite resemblance to Ms Oliphaunt， and also Will and Elsa have a flavour of the characters in another book I found less than enjoyable， The Music Shop。 In a similar fashion to Ilse in that book， Elsa is in danger of being a manic pixie dream girl， an attractive， quirky woman with little or no inner life of her own whose purpose is solely to draw a staid， withdrawn male character into a more stimulating existence，The stronger female character is Laura， but even there I wasn’t convinced。 Something about her didn’t quite ring true。 I cant really put my finger on why not， but it may just be the fact of a male author not quite convincing is his portrayal of a womanTo give an overall picture of the book， the strongest image in my mind is of the 70s board game， Mousetrap。 That involved an extensive section where an intricate structure was built， until someone got the chance to turn the crank， causing the man to jump into the bath， the ball roll down the stairs ， the cage to drop onto the mice， and probably several other stages Ive forgotten。 With the Frequency of Us， I found slogging round the board while Stuart built his structure pretty hard work。 Then when the crank was turned in the final section， boy did the plot elements slot implausibly into place。 The other reveal at the end is that this is an extended episode of Star Trek， so frequently did Gene Rodenberry and his successors use this plot structure。That brings back to the question of whether this is a piece of science fiction， and the answer has to be yes， and sadly not great sci-fi。 Good SF， while being necessarily fantastical， starts from where we are and extrapolates in a way in which the reader can be convinced is plausible。 Bad sci fi is based on bad science。 Here I read the denouement， and just thought， “No， high explosive and radio don't do that”。This isnt a bad book， there are times when it is genuinely intriguing。 The ending，overly tidy as it is， is heart warming。 It’s just all a bit derivative。 。。。more
Chris Moore
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Fairly good but the story was a bit odd & unconvincing， not quite reaching Stephen King level。 Kept me listening tho'， so 3*** Fairly good but the story was a bit odd & unconvincing， not quite reaching Stephen King level。 Kept me listening tho'， so 3*** 。。。more
Diane Porter
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This book totally sucked me in and I thought the protagonist in all her chaotic glory was beautifully developed。 I could see where this book was going， and was really excited for the ending…。but I think the author just went a bit too far/not far enough （I can’t decide which！） in the conclusion。 In trying to tie up some of the ‘loose ends’ but not others， the authenticity of the story was lost to me。 Loved it up until the final chapters though。
Richard
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Laura is a young lady with self-esteem and depression problems who has dropped out of university and made a bit of a shambles of her life。 Her mum pulled a favour and got her a job at a care agency， where she is asked to care for and assess 87-year-old Will， who has some challenges of his own including a memory of a relationship that appears to be a delusion。 This is the start of this intriguing novel that kept me hooked。Part detective novel， part romance and part paranormal sci-fi， this book is Laura is a young lady with self-esteem and depression problems who has dropped out of university and made a bit of a shambles of her life。 Her mum pulled a favour and got her a job at a care agency， where she is asked to care for and assess 87-year-old Will， who has some challenges of his own including a memory of a relationship that appears to be a delusion。 This is the start of this intriguing novel that kept me hooked。Part detective novel， part romance and part paranormal sci-fi， this book is unputdownable， moves at a cracking pace and is a brilliant read。 Recommended， and I'll probably seek out his other books！ 。。。more
Marc Storey
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Not sure how I got this but really liked it to a point which revolves around the ending and the is it a thriller or something else question。 Good characters and would recommend with a caveat that you don't want a "thriller" type book。。。 Not sure how I got this but really liked it to a point which revolves around the ending and the is it a thriller or something else question。 Good characters and would recommend with a caveat that you don't want a "thriller" type book。。。 。。。more
Anne Brown
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Very poignant multiverse historical novel。 The past and the present alternate in chapters。 The focus of the past is the years 1938 to 1942， the build up and first years of the Second World War。 Jewish immigrants are fleeing Germany and Austria。 One of them is Elsa Klein。 She ends up with her Aunt Josephine in Bath， having made her way， alone and terrified， across Europe。 She is a determined and remarkable woman。 Laura is broken。 Her childhood， dominated by the whims and taunts of an alcoholic fa Very poignant multiverse historical novel。 The past and the present alternate in chapters。 The focus of the past is the years 1938 to 1942， the build up and first years of the Second World War。 Jewish immigrants are fleeing Germany and Austria。 One of them is Elsa Klein。 She ends up with her Aunt Josephine in Bath， having made her way， alone and terrified， across Europe。 She is a determined and remarkable woman。 Laura is broken。 Her childhood， dominated by the whims and taunts of an alcoholic father， has left her unable to cope with life。 She had a breakdown in her first year at university and another after living in London for several years in a series of terrible jobs and grotty bedsits and houseshares。 Now she’s back home， living with her Mum in Bath。 Her Mum believes all she needs is medication and distraction。 She fixes Laura up with a part time job at the Regency Care Agency。 Laura believes she can’t take care of herself so how can she take care of anyone else。 What she does know is that the medication isn’t working。 Ignoring her doctor’s advise， she stops taking the antidepressants without telling anyone。 This coincides with Laura being assigned to assess the competency of an eighty seven year old man， Will Emerson。 Will lives in squalor in a dilapidated Victorian villa called Avon Lodge。 He is not popular with his neighbours。 There is a building site on one side of Avon Lodge where the developer would love to get his hands on Will’s land。 The people in the posh houses on the other side just want it Avon Lodge gone so it doesn’t bring down property values。 Generally， there’s a feeling that Will is old and odd and needs to go。 There are even rumours that he spent years in prison for a terrible crime after the Second World War。 When Laura fights through her feelings of unworthiness and anxiety， what she finds is an old man still grieving for the loss of the love of his life。 This is made much worse by the fact that he doesn’t have any evidence to prove she even existed。 He claims that it all went wrong in 1940 when Bath was bombed and Avon Lodge was hit but suffered no damage， just an incredibly bright light。 Does Will have dementia。 Is he creating stories to explain his life in a way that makes sense to him？ Is he manipulating Laura for some reason？ Or is he telling the truth。 Laura decides she has to find out。 She needs to know for herself as much as for Will。 She needs to know if， once someone is broken， that they can be fixed。 Well written， enjoyable， unusual and with an interesting concept。 。。。more
Alison
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Started out really well， I had so enjoyed A boy made of blocks， and initially I thought this would stand up to that book， but sadly the story fizzled out into the slightly ridiculous and incredulous。 I’ve enjoyed some books about time traveling and parallel lives but only when handled well by the author and this wasn’t the case with this book。 So disappointed ☹️
Christine Rennie
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The Frequency Of Us by Keith Stuart is a fascinating read and it kept me engrossed with the storyline of the Second World War and the preset day。 There is the story of Will and Elsa who meet in Bath in the Second World War and then many years later， we have Laura’s story。 It is a fascinating story about frequencies and time and different lives we could have led， if only。Highly recommended
Elite Group
，
A parallel universe love storyThe plot is set during the Second World War and present-day and is located mainly in the area around Bath。 Will Emerson and Elsa Klein have started their love affair which is destined to last a lifetime。 Fate steps in though with the unexpected bombing of the city when whole rows of houses were wiped out along with their occupants。It is exceedingly difficult to give any criticism of this book without including some spoilers。 However， suffice it to say that Will and A parallel universe love storyThe plot is set during the Second World War and present-day and is located mainly in the area around Bath。 Will Emerson and Elsa Klein have started their love affair which is destined to last a lifetime。 Fate steps in though with the unexpected bombing of the city when whole rows of houses were wiped out along with their occupants。It is exceedingly difficult to give any criticism of this book without including some spoilers。 However， suffice it to say that Will and Elsa’s lives are ripped apart。 We first meet Will as an 87-year-old who is being assessed by novice carer， Laura James， whose job it is over a 3-month period to determine whether Will can take proper care of himself or if he needs protection from Social Services。 Laura also has her own demons to deal with and ultimately， it's clear that the unlikely pair can be of assistance to each other。It’s transparent from the outset that Will is a man who has been mourning his true love throughout his lifetime。 He instinctively knows that Elsa lives on and that the strange events during the bombing have been instrumental in separating them。 During his whole life， he feels that he doesn’t fit in。 No documentary evidence exists that Elsa was ever living in Bath or was associated with him。 It will be Laura’s destiny to investigate further and as she does so， she finds facts that causally relate to her own family and upbringing。There are some aspects about the style of writing which were highly frustrating。 Each chapter was written in the first person but from the point of view of one of the main characters。 This was immensely disturbing as it could be several pages before that particular character could be identified。 Additionally， no evidence was presented regarding the whole premise of the plot in that there can be rents in time。 The last few chapters were almost laughable in my opinion and the coincidence reference Laura’s father， too much to swallow。Therefore， despite the truly romantic story and beautiful writing， the plot did not stand up to scrutiny although anyone who believes in a parallel universe will no doubt find it enchanting。mr zorgElite Reviewing group received a copy of the book to review。 。。。more
Patricia Moren
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Another fascinating story by Keith Stuart。 The previous on I read about a young boy with autism， amazed me by what could be achieved。 This time my imagination was stretched to the limit。 i was willing Laura to stay strong and complete the task。 I wasn't disappointed ， as the story had a brilliant conclusion following a totally immersive experience。 Great read！ Another fascinating story by Keith Stuart。 The previous on I read about a young boy with autism， amazed me by what could be achieved。 This time my imagination was stretched to the limit。 i was willing Laura to stay strong and complete the task。 I wasn't disappointed ， as the story had a brilliant conclusion following a totally immersive experience。 Great read！ 。。。more
Donna
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I adored his previous book “A boy made from blocks” this was a totally different read but brilliant all the same。 The characters were well written and thought it was a slow burning one （and in parts slightly unbelievable） I really liked it。 I thought once again it was an original story and plot and very enjoyable！ Thank you ！
Andrew
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It is 5 years since I read Keith Stuart's debut novel。 It was clear from the outset that this would be very different。 Iwas drawn to the novel because of the setting in Bath and the era around which part of the story was set: Namely， during the Second World War。 I grew to like the characters which are carefully crafted and developed as the story unfolds。 The descriptions of Bath， past and present helped to add a sense of geographical perspective too。Without saying too much about the storyline， I It is 5 years since I read Keith Stuart's debut novel。 It was clear from the outset that this would be very different。 Iwas drawn to the novel because of the setting in Bath and the era around which part of the story was set: Namely， during the Second World War。 I grew to like the characters which are carefully crafted and developed as the story unfolds。 The descriptions of Bath， past and present helped to add a sense of geographical perspective too。Without saying too much about the storyline， I liked the way in which the historical themes of life during the blitz and attitudes towards Germanic immigrants was explored。 Added to this the modern aspects of the narrative， which explored aspects of the care system for the elderly and an unusual theme for a novel is set。It is difficult to say much about how the novel unfolds without spoiling the underlying themes within the book。 I found it necessary to suspend my sense of normality as the story drew to it's conclusion。 There is an ethereal quality to this book。I give my thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for a copy in exchange for this review。 。。。more
Remmi black
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I think this book was very interesting and a great opportunity to read Keith Stuart's books。 I am very happy to be given the opportunity to read this book as an ARC。 this is a good book where two characters lives intertwine although they are unexpectedly paired。 I love that the book is paced nicely and the character progression between the main two。 The end of the book wrapped up all the loose ends which were nice and I think this is a great mesh of oldern and modern characters interacting。 I lo I think this book was very interesting and a great opportunity to read Keith Stuart's books。 I am very happy to be given the opportunity to read this book as an ARC。 this is a good book where two characters lives intertwine although they are unexpectedly paired。 I love that the book is paced nicely and the character progression between the main two。 The end of the book wrapped up all the loose ends which were nice and I think this is a great mesh of oldern and modern characters interacting。 I loved the relationship growth and slow pieces put together like a puzzle with this book I couldn't predict the ending and I adored this book and would recommend as a good evening read as it is calm and clean 。。。more
Jo-anne Atkinson
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University drop-out Laura is currently living in Bath， back at home with her mother and suffering severe anxiety。 She gets a job working for an agency and is asked to visit 87 year old Will Emerson who lives in a decaying house and may or may not be suffering dementia。 Will tells Laura that his wife Elsa disappeared from his house on the night the street was bombed in 1942 but no-one knows anything about Elsa。 Laura determines to find the truth and slowly the universe turns full circle。When I fi University drop-out Laura is currently living in Bath， back at home with her mother and suffering severe anxiety。 She gets a job working for an agency and is asked to visit 87 year old Will Emerson who lives in a decaying house and may or may not be suffering dementia。 Will tells Laura that his wife Elsa disappeared from his house on the night the street was bombed in 1942 but no-one knows anything about Elsa。 Laura determines to find the truth and slowly the universe turns full circle。When I first finished this book I was disappointed in the whole parallel universe theme， I found it a little convenient and a little silly。 However on reflection I realise how well it works and actually helps to tie the story together。 At its heart this is a love story between two people which jumps 65 years。 the writing is lovely and very gentle， the plot （apart from the final couple of chapters） is straightforward yet heartfelt。 Overall a surprisingly wonderful book！ 。。。more
Allison Tandy
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Enjoyed this book。 Very good writing and an interesting story。 It just lost me a bit at the end and became a bit too sci fi。
Jessica
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3。5 stars rounded up！ Really great story！ Very intriguing and had some great twists and turns。 I loved the dual time lines， it was a great touch and kept me interested！ I found myself more intrigued by the Will’s point of view in the past。 I really liked how the author added in the idea of alternate realities， it had me wondering which way this story was going to turn out！
Lorna
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The story starts during a bombing in 1942 Bath and then forward to 2008 and Will is an 87 yr old and his career has been asked if he is competent to contain living on his own。 The career is Laura who appears to be recovering from a nervous breakdown and is then drawn into Will’s story。。 Will is insistent that his wife disappeared in the bombing raid but no one believes him。 Laura sets about researching if he was really married and if so where did she disappear to or is Will suffering from dement The story starts during a bombing in 1942 Bath and then forward to 2008 and Will is an 87 yr old and his career has been asked if he is competent to contain living on his own。 The career is Laura who appears to be recovering from a nervous breakdown and is then drawn into Will’s story。。 Will is insistent that his wife disappeared in the bombing raid but no one believes him。 Laura sets about researching if he was really married and if so where did she disappear to or is Will suffering from dementia 。。。more
Annarella
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This is the second book I read by this author and I loved both。This is another excellent story， poignant and gripping。I loved the well thought characters and felt for them。The author is a talented storyteller and the plot kept me hooked。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine
Pixie 🍜
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I’d like to take a minute to thank the publishers and netgalley for a copy of this in exchange of an honest review。 TW: anxiety and panic attacks Frequency follows the story of Will and Laura。 Seventy years ago wills wife went missing， and now no one believes him that she ever existed。 Laura suffers with terrible anxiety and panic attacks and is tasked with assessing if Will is mentally unwell or telling the truth。 She becomes determined to help him。 I’m going to give some trigger warnings becau I’d like to take a minute to thank the publishers and netgalley for a copy of this in exchange of an honest review。 TW: anxiety and panic attacks Frequency follows the story of Will and Laura。 Seventy years ago wills wife went missing， and now no one believes him that she ever existed。 Laura suffers with terrible anxiety and panic attacks and is tasked with assessing if Will is mentally unwell or telling the truth。 She becomes determined to help him。 I’m going to give some trigger warnings because if you also have terrible anxiety like me， though these scenes are very well written it did also make ME super anxious as a result。 I sometimes had to put the book down。 Ultimately it’s a very slow book and didn’t really hold my attention enough to want to continue with it。 While elements of a mystery are awesome it just didn’t hook me enough。 I also kind of expected radios to play a bigger part but it seemed almost secondary。 。。。more
Michelle
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Great story had me hooked right at the beginning and loved the twist at the end。 The characters were great， this was a good read
Gail Gentile
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A lovely story but。。。。。 not up there with A Boy Made of Blocks or Days of Wonder for me。 A great read nonetheless。 I think I agree the ending wasnt quite up to the rest of the book。
kellie
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A beautifully written tale， of love， lives and believe it or not time travel。 The characters were likable and relatable which made it easier to read。 The author portrays Bath in such a beautiful way you wish you were there。 This book was different and refreshing from my last few reads。 I definitely recommend it。
Tredaran
，
This is a charming and engaging story about Will， an elderly man living on his own， and Laura， a young woman who is suffering from depression and anxiety who， working for a care agency， is assigned to find out whether he is capable of living on his own or whether he has dementia。 To begin with， the plot appears to be a domestic drama but it soon develops into a different story exploring the theory of multiple universes and what happens when a chance event shifts you from the life you are living This is a charming and engaging story about Will， an elderly man living on his own， and Laura， a young woman who is suffering from depression and anxiety who， working for a care agency， is assigned to find out whether he is capable of living on his own or whether he has dementia。 To begin with， the plot appears to be a domestic drama but it soon develops into a different story exploring the theory of multiple universes and what happens when a chance event shifts you from the life you are living into one where a different choice means a very different life。 With shifting timelines and viewpoints it takes us from the 1940s blitz to the first decade of the 21st century and is a compelling read。 The multi-verse fantasy element does not dominate or distract from the growing friendship between Will and Laura and the delightful love story at the heart of the book。 。。。more
Kerry
，
The Frequency of Us is another amazing story by Keith Stuart。 It is going to be a difficult one to review though as I could happily talk about it for ages， but I don’t want to give too much away。 Having read， and loved， A Boy Made of Blocks and Days of Wonder I was very much looking forward to reading this book。 All three books are completely unique， but they all have at least one thing in common; they are so beautifully written and completely captivating。When we first meet Laura， she isn’t in a The Frequency of Us is another amazing story by Keith Stuart。 It is going to be a difficult one to review though as I could happily talk about it for ages， but I don’t want to give too much away。 Having read， and loved， A Boy Made of Blocks and Days of Wonder I was very much looking forward to reading this book。 All three books are completely unique， but they all have at least one thing in common; they are so beautifully written and completely captivating。When we first meet Laura， she isn’t in a good place， but we don’t really know why。 She starts a job as a community carer and is given the task of assessing 87-year-old， Will。 Will isn’t particularly welcoming， but Laura sticks with him all the same， despite not feeling overly confident in her own abilities。 There is something about him she can’t quite put her finger on， and he seems to find something familiar about her too， but they had never met until now。 It soon becomes apparent that there is more to Will’s story than meets the eye。 Laura makes it her mission to find out the truth in the hope of bringing him some peace。 His sadness， confusion， and frustration are heart-wrenching but are his memories even real or just a symptom of dementia。 Laura has only days to decide on， and write， her report before social services take over his case。 What seems like a simple， but heartfelt and emotional story of an old man and his carer， who is trying her best to prove he is capable of living alone in his own home， soon becomes much， much more。 I was totally swept up in their story and their fight to find the truth before it was too late， and I was as desperate as Laura to connect all the dots and to try to understand how everything and everyone was connected。 This is so intelligently written， and such a genius idea for a novel。 It’s like nothing I have ever read before and I am sure it will stay with me for a long time to come。This book is full of complex characters who all add depth to the story。 There is a powerful love story at the core of this novel， but it is so much more than that。 So much more than I could have ever imagined。 I absolutely loved it from the first page to the last。 I highly recommend！http://chataboutbooks。blog/2021/04/13。。。 。。。more
Anjana
，
I first had a digital copy of this book， then I got a chance to listen to it on audio。 This is almost always welcome since it means that it can cut the line and move forward of the books I have pending to read since I can listen to it on the move and when doing my groceries。 This story was narrated slowly， and although I heard it at 1。5x， I could still feel the characters' dignity。The story does not go the way of normal historical fiction， and the element that makes it different may seem jarring I first had a digital copy of this book， then I got a chance to listen to it on audio。 This is almost always welcome since it means that it can cut the line and move forward of the books I have pending to read since I can listen to it on the move and when doing my groceries。 This story was narrated slowly， and although I heard it at 1。5x， I could still feel the characters' dignity。The story does not go the way of normal historical fiction， and the element that makes it different may seem jarring for a few， especially since it is quite unexpected。 I really enjoyed another of this author's books， so I was looking forward to this。 There is no similarity between this work and the Boy made of blocks except for how the emotions/despair of people seeps through。We have an unlikely pair of friends whose paths cross unexpectedly。 We have Laura， a nervous wreck and Will， a grumpy old man lost in the confusion that is his life。 Laura sets out trying to unravel the past but comes away with more than she bargained for。 I thought parts of it could have been trimmed for better effect since Laura's research into the past seemed to take too long， given the length of the work。 The past is narrated by Will Emerson as he remembers it， and it was a good way to simultaneously see the younger and the present versions of the same man， given the way that time has treated him。 The explanation of the twist seemed reasonable enough， I did not expect to be convinced by it， but I was。 The lesser said about the actual plotline， the better， especially since the story is revealed to maximize any possible secrets in the narrative。 Finally， I have to say I would pick up another book by the author given a chance。I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers， but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience。 。。。more
Katy Noyes
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Intriguing， sad stories of love with a hint of mystery。I adored both of Stuart's previous two books， and was definitely going to try this based on his writing style and warm stories。 This time， the concept is rather different。 It's still a family-based story， with mental illness a theme， but now with both a historical angle as well as a hint at science fiction。With two storylines， one in roughly present day England， the other a backstory around the era of World War II， it concentrates on the lif Intriguing， sad stories of love with a hint of mystery。I adored both of Stuart's previous two books， and was definitely going to try this based on his writing style and warm stories。 This time， the concept is rather different。 It's still a family-based story， with mental illness a theme， but now with both a historical angle as well as a hint at science fiction。With two storylines， one in roughly present day England， the other a backstory around the era of World War II， it concentrates on the life of a now 87-year-old man， Will， a former wireless engineer living in Bath。 Now， he's a curmudgeonly old man who could be a danger to himself and others， in a house falling down around him。 With a young lady from Social Services assigned to him to assess his case。 The young lady in question has issues of her own。The second storyline has us looking back at his history， as his social worker Laura delves into his life through the fog of her depression medication， trying to ascertain the truth of his certainty - did he have a wife that disappeared with the bomb that fell on their house back in 1942？ Nobody else remembers Elsa。 Will remembers their meeting， their courtship， their life together。 But it all vanished when the bomb fell。 And it affected his life for the next 60 years。 Can Laura solve the puzzle？ Is Will suffering from dementia or did something significant happen back then？This is something a little different。 It has fragments of historical fiction， romance， mystery， science fiction， and mixes in mental illness and a family story that also unravels itself to give a fuller picture of a second life ruined by pain。Laura is emotional scarred， she's a mess。 But she's someone you also want to succeed in life， to overcome the early trauma of constant low-level fear。 She may not have been physically abused but her childhood nonetheless was tarnished。 And the trust we might place in her as narrator is compromised by her skewed view of both the world and other people through the halo of medication。 Will is similarly hard to trust as we simply can't tell what happened in his past。 I'm not much of a fan of the supernatural， but did love the backstory and Elsa and Will's courtship。 The historical detail was superb， very easy to conjure up mentally。 I enjoyed the radio/frequency metaphors throughout and how everything fitted together。 I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and watching the uncovering of both the past and the present questions。 It was satisfying。 The urgency of the imminent threat to Will's house， falling down around him， gave a story moving with pace。I wasn't sure at the start if I would enjoy this， with supernatural elements， but I really did。 I enjoyed the detective aspect， as well as the historical story that needed delving into。 With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy。 。。。more
Heather Love
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Review to follow。
Margaret
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I seem to be out of step， because so many people have posted positive reviews。 Well written？ Tick。 Engaging narrative？ Tick。 Perhaps the problem for me is an unwillingness to engage with the supernatural elements of this book， the 'things that go bump in the night'。 The further into the book we go， the more we're introduced to a plot in which events might have gone the other way， and looking at how the future might have turned out。 And I simply didn't buy it。 This is a tricky concept to pull off I seem to be out of step， because so many people have posted positive reviews。 Well written？ Tick。 Engaging narrative？ Tick。 Perhaps the problem for me is an unwillingness to engage with the supernatural elements of this book， the 'things that go bump in the night'。 The further into the book we go， the more we're introduced to a plot in which events might have gone the other way， and looking at how the future might have turned out。 And I simply didn't buy it。 This is a tricky concept to pull off。 Matt Haig didn't manage it for me in The Midnight Library。 In fact the only author I can call to mind who does is Kate Atkinson in Life after Life。 in The Frequency of Us， so many loose ends get tied up that it felt as if the book might have ended 'and they all lived happily ever after'。 。。。more
Olga Miret
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Thanks to NetGalley and to Little， Brown and Company UK （Clara Díaz in particular） for providing me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review。I have read and reviewed Keith Stuart’s previous two novels， both wonderful: A Boy Made of Blocks and Days of Wonder， and I was pleased to be offered the opportunity to read this one as well。 Although in some ways this is a pretty different reading experience， less reassuring and more puzzling at times， I’ve enjoyed it as well。 It is difficult Thanks to NetGalley and to Little， Brown and Company UK （Clara Díaz in particular） for providing me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review。I have read and reviewed Keith Stuart’s previous two novels， both wonderful: A Boy Made of Blocks and Days of Wonder， and I was pleased to be offered the opportunity to read this one as well。 Although in some ways this is a pretty different reading experience， less reassuring and more puzzling at times， I’ve enjoyed it as well。 It is difficult to talk about the plot of this novel without revealing too much of what happens， and although this is not a conventional mystery， a lot of the story hinges on what is real and what is not， on different versions of events and of people’s lives， on how the past makes us what we are， and on how a small decision can change many things and send our lives in totally different directions。 The story is set in the historical city of Bath， in two different eras， in 2008 （the present， as far as the novel is concerned） and during WWII （mostly 1942）。 There are many themes explored in this novel: the nature of memory， depression and anxiety， PTSD， the changes in the city of Bath over the years， old-age care， war time （WWII） in the UK and the experience of German/Austrian refugees there， the development of radio technology， family relationships， psychological abuse， love in wartime。。。 There are strange happenings in the book that at times can make us think of a paranormal element， although they can also be explained away in totally rational ways （almost）， and there is also a science-fiction background （very light on the science part） that might feel almost an afterthought （but it probably is anything but）。When trying to come up with a category or definition that truly fitted my reading experience I only came up with movies and plays that popped into my mind as I read， but I wouldn’t say that is because they are closely related。 In any case， here they go， in case they might give you a clue: Frequency （a movie from 2000， where radios played an important part and different generations managed to communicate）， Sliding Doors， Match Point （those two about the effect a small decision can have）， and J。B。 Priestley’s time plays， particularly two I’ve watched: An Inspector Calls， and Time and the Conways。 Ultimately， this is a book about two people， Will （an old man when we meet him first， living alone and holding on to a love story nobody else seems to think was ever real）， and Laura （a woman in her late twenties）， who seemingly have nothing in common but quickly connect。 Laura， who suffers from anxiety and depression as a result of years of psychological abuse from her father （we come to learn some of the reasons for his behaviour later， but that is no justification）， has to visit Will for work， and trying to confirm his life story， one that doesn’t seem to match facts， gives her a reason to live。 In the process of trying to learn about him， she gains in confidence， confronts some truths about her life and her family and learns to trust in herself。 The connection between these two people， who never felt they quite belonged in their current lives， becomes clearer as the novel progresses。Apart from the two main characters， who narrate the story in the first person each one in a different time frame （and Stuart is as good as ever at getting inside of the characters’ minds and making us experience both， Laura’s anxiety symptoms， her insecurity， and her dread， and Wills’ sense of wonder and excitement on meeting Elsa and falling in love with her）， we also have Elsa Klein， a wonderful character， colourful， vibrant， magical， who haunts much of the novel， and whose voice we also hear， if only occasionally， and many other secondary characters （Laura’s boss， her mother， her father， Will’s neighbours and his friends from youth。。。） who play smaller parts but are also convincingly and realistically portrayed。 The novel flows well。 The descriptions of Bath in the past and in the present don’t disrupt the narrative， giving it instead an anchor and a privileged setting that help carry the story along。 The action takes place along different historical times， but these are clearly indicated in the novel and aren’t confusing to readers， and although some of the events are not easy to explain， this is not due to the way the story is told。 The love story between Will and Elsa is very moving ，and I was touched by the story and on the verge of tears more than once。 I highlighted so much of the novel that I’d find it difficult to choose only one or two quotes。 I recommend future readers to check a sample of the book to see if it would be a good fit for their taste。I’ve talked about mysterious goings on when referring to the plot， and there are some false endings， when you think that is it and feel disappointed （at least I did）， but don’t worry， it is not。 I know some readers weren’t totally convinced by the ending， and well， I’m still thinking about it （and will probably be thinking about it for a long time）， but I liked it。 I won’t go into suspension of disbelief， etc。， etc。 Yes， depending on how you look at it， it might not make sense from a conventional point of view， but that is not what this novel is about。 In sum， this is another great novel by Keith Stuart， perhaps his most ambitious to date， where he goes exploring not only historical fiction， but also speculative Physics， the nature of time and memory， multiverses， enduring love， and a world full of wonderful characters。 If you need a story with a little bit of magic， imagination， a hopeful ending and a lot of heart， I recommend it。 。。。more
Claire Sinclair
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Wow 。。。 another winner from Keith Stuart。 This was a book I wanted to rush through， but I also wanted to take my time and enjoy each page。The book was totally different， with a little bit of the magic mixed up in the story - right up my street。I really felt for the characters and I was behind them all through the book。 I loved the coming together of the different story lines and they all fit very nicely for me。 I can’t wait for whatever book this author creates next。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Frequency of Us
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Frequency of Us&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Frequency of Us&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0