It is wartime, April 1942 and Will Emerson and Elsa Klein’s love affair has only just begun when the bombing raids of the city hit their home at Avon Lodge, Bath. Wireless research engineer Will and Austrian music lover Elsa are separated, a blinding light a precursor to the bomb falling, with Will glimpsing the shadow of his lover in the doorway of the kitchen just before he loses consciousness. Found in his garden and taken to the Royal United hospital Will is more concerned about the safety and whereabouts of Elsa and a young boy David he was trying to protect when the bomb fell. Discharging himself and waking up to the reality of the devastation around him, Will finds Avon Lodge miraculously still standing but where is Elsa? The house holds no clues as to her whereabouts, and disconcertingly no evidence remains of her existence. How can Elsa have disappeared without trace? The Frequency of Us is the story of one man’s lifetime journey to discover the truth.

Now 87 years of age Will’s health and safety, given Avon Lodge is now more or less a death trap, is the prime concern of social services. Laura James, working for Regency Home care agency is tasked with assessing Will’s suitability to remain at home and it is thanks to her appearance in his life and her belief in him that he can finally reconcile the past. Hints of her own troubled upbringing coupled with her ability to listen to the ramblings of an elderly man suggest Laura is well placed to help decide Will’s future.

Give me a wartime story combining a sense of history with a sweeping magical love affair and you’re guaranteed to hold my attention and make me happy. The Frequency of Us has elements to hopefully satisfy everyone. Part love story and part mystery it has its roots both firmly in the past and present, with a ghostly transcendental theme at its core. Will’s story alongside Laura’s allows the author sufficient scope to analyse the powerful inner workings of the mind plus its inherent fragility that gives rise to all manner of conditions afflicting the human psyche. Both Will and Laura’s lives are blighted and controlled by thoughts and emotions that overwhelm them making them kindred spirits. Will her appearance in his life help the pair face up to their ghosts/demons or will Laura’s investigations prompt further decline in her own mental health? I feared for both Will and Laura’s sanity as this young woman becomes equally entrenched in the past of the man she is caring for.

With writing that sweeps you up in a maelstrom of emotions, depositing you right in the middle of this surreal, ethereal mystery you can only marvel at the delicate way the author handles these characters. As you listen to Will’s retelling of his love affair with Elsa you have to ask yourself certain questions. Is it entirely confabulation, the product of a mind descending into madness or succumbing to dementia? Is Laura, in her agitated and disturbed state following Will down the same path, inhabiting a world of make believe? Or is it something else entirely? The author gives his readers space and time to consider all theories as you relinquish reality and lose yourself in Will’s memories. For me it was enough that this lonely and misunderstood elderly man finally had someone willing to listen to his version of events and like Laura I became an avid listener, caring about the validity of his memories because it was vital for my peace of mind that I believed in the existence of this beautiful love affair. When you believe what your heart wants you to believe nothing else matters and I did not want for Elsa to be nothing more than a figment of Will’s imagination. For any reader, aspects of a novel will resonate more strongly than others so for me the actual outcome of this mystery almost became immaterial, secondary to the details of Will and Elsa’s enchanting love affair which is incredibly romantic.

The Frequency of Us is a sublime piece of storytelling that is breathtakingly sad, poignant and profound. That “everything is always happening” is significant in a storyline that forces you to consider the constructs of time whilst being baffled by the mystery surrounding Elsa’s disappearance, uncertain how the author will provide an explanation for this inexplicable turn of events. Will’s passion for innovations in radio transmitting technology is also fascinating and crucial to a storyline in which time really is of the essence. If the author intended to move me beyond words then he did so effortlessly with certain passages prompting the tears to flow yet I found the whole process cathartic. Will is an unforgettable character whom I struggled to envision as anything other than a man who has lost everything he holds dear, living in a dilapidated shrine to the past for whom in his own words “the past is terrifying but so is hope” summing up an entire lifetime in which time has stood still. I hoped with all my heart that Laura was the right person to bring peace and understanding into the life of this male equivalent of Miss Havisham and that in doing so she could also find her own happy equilibrium. Intricately crafted, well researched, with complex characters, I was mind blown by the beauty of this storyline and the effect it had on me. Rarely does a novel impact on me to the extent I could read it more than once but The Frequency of Us is one of those novels. The very final passage is simply exquisite, making perfect sense of all that has come before. I know there’s a long way to go before 2021 is over but this surely will rank as one of my all time favourite reads. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

I have to be honest and say that I read this simply because it was by Keith Stuart. If I had seen the synopsis, a WW 2 romance and 70 years later a depressed social worker, without his name attached I’m not sure I’d have been interested. As it turns out I really enjoyed the story of the romance and preferred it to the 2008 events. Keith Stuart writes believable characters and I was so caught up in the Will and Elsa story that there were tears. I wasn’t too sure about the ending but equally I don’t know how else it could have been resolved. An interesting mash up of genres here and it’s a book that I’m sure will spark many discussions.

This is an author totally new to me, so went into this book open minded.

Ultimately it is a story about love, about coping with mental illness, but there is also a supernatural/sci-fi edge about rifts in time and different realities. It is very hard to put this book into a category and I think to do this would do the story an injustice.

This book drew me in from the first page and really held my attention until the end.

Beautiful book I can really recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

A fabulous, engaging read from start to finish. Keith Stuart has a real gift for creating complex, imperfect and wonderfully real characters and plotlines so compelling you'll be up all night to finish just one more chapter...
The Frequency of Us is no exception, bringing a uniquely character- and relationship-driven angle to a story that encompasses historical fiction, sci-fi and quantum physics, but at its heart just feels like a story about people.
Highly recommended.

Amazing book, it takes you along on a journey into the concept of a multiverse that's shared with the characters in the story. Their dawning realisation that such a concept could exist is matched with your own as the possibilities emerge that this could happen to each and every one of us.

Will lives in Bath, during the war a bombing raid his whole live changes. To the present day and Laura is sent to care for an old man called Will. He has a story to tell, what is true, is there something more.....this is a staggeringly brilliant book and one that I couldn't put down. To go further would ruin the story but beautiful and amazing would so recommend

I am a big fan of Keith Stuart, having loved A Boy made of Blocks and Days of Wonder. Set in Bath, the story is told in 2 time frames. During WW2 Will meets and falls in love with Elsa, an Austrian refugee, and they move in together. One night, Will is injured in an air raid attack and when he returns home from hospital Elsa has disappeared, along with all traces of her. Years later with Will now in his late 80s, Laura James is sent by the care agency to assess him. As he begins to open up to her, Laura is determined to find out about Elsa - did she really exist or is this just the wanderings of a very old man. What follows is so unexpected that it really blew me away! You have to suspend a bit of belief, but it's a cracking story! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Laura is struggling with her mental health following a difficult childhood. She takes a temporary job as a carer to Will, living alone in a crumbling house.
I have really enjoyed this novel. I love the evolving relationship between Will and Laura.
However the ending left me wondering for ages about what ifs and how a parallel time line would work.
Lovely

Thanks for the opportunity.

I needed a book I couldn't put down and found it "The Frequency of Us" by Keith Stuart ticked all my boxes. Set in both present day and WW2 Bath I was fully there. I wanted to be Will, I wanted to be Laura, I wanted to be Elsa, I laughed with them, I cried and worried with them but mainly I really cared what happened. Demonstrating love can span the ticking complexities of time. Beautifully written and interesting factually too, I now need to visit Bath to enjoy the setting.

An incredible book by a talented author. I have enjoyed all of Keith's books but this might be his best yet. The characters, the attention to detail, the combination of themes that really shouldn't work but just come together beautifully, just make this novel a wonderful immersive experience.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book and demolished it in 2 days. It was such an amazing story. The two characters were easy to like from the moment you meet them and the twists and turns of the story kept me interested throughout. I was desperate to find out what happened to Elsa and solve the mystery and found the ending very satisfying! I would recommend this book completely.

Well I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Wasn’t what I was expecting but it had me transfixed. A story that ebbed and flowed from the 1940s to 2008. I loved Laura and Will very believable characters and from the 1st page I just wanted to know what happened! Already been recommended.

I was not sure what to make of this story - it took a while to grab me and I am not sure whether or not I was convinced by the story.

I enjoyed the characters, the developing relationship between Will and Elsa before 1942 and the current relationship between him and Laura - his carer who is determined to explore his back story and who is fighting her own demons. I was intrigued by the links between Laura’s and Will’s experiences and wanted to see a resolution - I just was not sure by the resolution when it came.

It is certainly worth a read - it is captivating in its own way.

I began this book with no expectations either way, having not read any previous work by the author. But the blurb made the plot sound interesting and I was hooked on the story with the opening chapter.
The story begins in 1942 with Will Emmerson living in Bath with his Austrian girlfriend Elsa who has travelled across Europe to escape Nazi persecution in Vienna. Will works in wireless engineering and a young neighbour of his appears one night, the second night of the German bombing of Bath, to use Will’s radio to contact his father. When a bomb goes off in the garden Will awakes but find there is no trace of either the young neighbour or his beloved Elsa.
After the opening chapters the story switches to 2007 and Laura James arrives to care for Will, now an ailing old man who lives alone in same house in Bath. Will can be a difficult character and has never really recovered from the 1942 night of the bombing and we soon learn that Laura has her own issues being insecure and anxious and being afraid of her father.
As Laura learns about Will’s past she tries to piece together what has happened to him and learn the truth.
The story is in dual time frames – 1942 and the events leading up to the night of the bombing and 2007/8 when Laura is looking after Will. The plot twists and turns, doubling back on itself so one minute you are with Laura and convinced that Elsa is real and the next that is it all some sort of fantasy of Will’s.
The characters of Will and Laura are well drawn. Laura particularly comes across as real – we feel her anxieties, and highs and lows and fully sympathise with her. Will is cranky and confused but of course we think we understand the reason for this as his life has been turned upside down.
The attention to detail in the writing – the costumes, particularly those worn by Elsa, the places in Bath, the music and the art are very well done and draw in the reader to the time and place.
The story held my attention throughout. The crackle of electricity, the stopping of the clocks, the bright lights all the little details added atmosphere and tension until the final page.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the chance to read this. I shall look out for more works by Keith Stuart.

I will post the same review on Goodreads on 25th March 2021 when the book is published.

I can't even begin to explain how much I loved this story! I love the idea of time travel and parallel universes so this book was just perfect for me. Add to that, the setting being WW2 as well as present day and you cant get better! The characters are all fabulous and authentic. Excellent!

Wow, that was different, a great read I was hooked, just makes you think about all those 'what if' moments in your life. Great characters, amazing book.

I wanted to read this book as I had enjoyed the author's debut novel so much.
This was a very different read, but a book that I couldn't out down. I found I cared about Will and Laura, the main characters; for me it is quite unusual to become so involved in the characters lives. I would definitely recommend this book as a book worth reading.

I received an ebook copy through NetGalley, directly through the agent. Thank you for the opportunity to let me read this.
This review may contain minor spoilers. (Will defiantly try my best to be vague as possible).

This was a marvelous story that was charming throughout. I found a close connection to the characters, engaging in their personal stories and the interaction between them. I was clear for me to distinguish which perspective was being shown, but there were a few time I would have wanted clarification; such as, having the characters name alongside the chapter.
Sometimes, I found the pacing to be a little slow in places, but I was hooked by the plot, especially as I spiraled with the feelings and connections in the last third of the novel.

It was a brilliant novel to showcase mental health. I feel that this is something important to mention in my review. Without going into any spoilery detail; it was an important aspect of the novel and showcasing that even as the characters overcame anything regarding mental health, it was not magically gone or cured, with lingering affects that mental health can cause.

I defiantly recommend this book to anyone who has read the authors previous novels. The research gone into this novel shows greatly with surprising twists and turns in the plot.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This was a very different book, it had a number of different elements but it was compelling and I didn’t want it to end. I will be recommending this book to my friends.

I am now officially addicted to anything this guy writes. Keith Stuart you did it again. If you are expecting your average WW2 book then you are going to be astonished. If you loved Time Travellers Wife, and have a penchant for WW2 novels set in England, this will blow your socks off. I have just finished it and feel a little wrung out, I feel I have a little book hangover and what is most disappointing is that I might have just read the best book of 2021 and its only my third book of the year (12 January 2021).

The setting is Bath in both 1942 and 2008, the descriptions of this city are wonderful, I loved that the author actually used street names and genuine places. It makes you want to revisit and do a tour of the city with fresh eyes. I had no idea this city was bombed. I defy you not to fall a teeny weeniest bit in love with Will and Elsa. Will is the out-of-depth engineer and Elsa, the Austrian flamboyant jewish lady who has already sacrificed so much before we even meet her. You will love her sassy vulnerability and his dithering self questioning. They were meant to be, like strawberries and cream, like fish and chips, like Romeo and Juliet. This is a love story that defies time and place; sometimes spooky, sometimes filled with angst, but always filled with love. A story to fall in love with.