Skip to main content

The Frequency of Us - Keith Stuart

 


Description

*** A BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK ***
*** BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME ***

In Second World War Bath, young, naïve wireless engineer Will meets Austrian refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated, witty and worldly, 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, social worker Laura is 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 . . .

Review

I loved A Boy Made of Blocks, but this is not really in the same league.

I took some time to get into this one. The story begins with Will having rejected any help from Social Services and their suspicions that he has dementia. Until Laura arrives and he invites her in. We then flash back and forth from 2008 to the war years and the life he remembers but no one else can verify. The dual time line was well laid out but I just didn't feel any connection with the two main characters of Will and Laura. Having said that I was so intrigued that I did read to the end.

Laura has her own demons and the description of her emotions and feelings was so well written and sensitive. Yet, I could not connect with her. 

I had a hunch of what was happening in the book and it did play out the way I thought it would, until the very end. I found it strange that a totally new character is introduced and the storyline takes a swerve that was not in my opinion necessary.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done - Sophie Hannah

  Description The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable in order to save the life of one of its beloved members? Both? Or something else altogether? You'll have to read until the very last word in order to find out… You think it will never happen to you: the ring of the bell, the policeman on the doorstep. What he says traps you in a nightmare that starts with the words, 'I'm afraid…' Sally Lambert is also afraid, and desperate enough to consider the unthinkable. Is it really, definitely, impossible to escape from this horror? Maybe not. There's always something you can do, right? Of course, no one would ever do this particular something – except the Lamberts, who might have to. No one has ever gone this far. Until Sally decides that the Lamberts will… 'An incident involving a dog in a small village escalates to an all-out conflict, turning neighbour against neighbour, and culminating in murder. Bu...

The Dilemmas of Work Women - Fumio Yamamoto

  Description The classic Japanese bestseller published in English for the very first time -  a darkly funny and relatable book portraying the lives of five women 'Witty, wise and thought-provoking' Cecelia Ahern 'Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence' Lisa Owens, author of  Not Working 'So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later' Roxy Dunn, author of  As Young as This Izumi  needs to get a job. Haruka  needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer. Katō  needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed. Mito  needs to break up with her boyfriend - or marry him. Sumie  just needs somewhere to live. In this classic Japanese bestseller, published in English twenty-five years after it took Japan by storm, the lives of five ordinary women are depicted with irresistible humour and searing emotional insight. Review A collection of short ...

A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder - Louise Candlish

  Description A gripping new thriller from the author of  Our House,  packed full of stunning twists! ‘Louise Candlish has a gift for examining hotly topical issues with intelligence, wit, and a keen eye for observational detail.  A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder  is a smartly constructed psychological thriller with a wicked twist in the tale. Flawless!’  Lucy Clarke ‘A terrific story, witty, engaging and a total page-turner.’  Liz Nugent 'A whip-smart, razor-sharp domestic thriller… a fiendishly twisty plot. Gwen is my new obsession!'  Isabelle Broom ‘A brilliant mess-with-your-mind slow burn thriller. Louise is a master manipulator and this is not to be missed’  Nikki Smith 'Louise Candlish excels at issue-led plots. A clever “through the keyhole” take on neighbours.'  Jane Corry 'Meticulously plotted with twists and turns aplenty. It's a truly addictive read.'  Hannah Beckerman Her secrets will be the death of you. It’s rare for a r...