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What books have you read that are “family sagas”? Where the entire story revolves around one family and what happens to them

What books have you read that are “family sagas”? Where the entire story revolves around one family and what happens to them

Mary #recommend

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94 Answers

Jenn

I’ve read a lot of books like that. Most recently I’ve read and enjoyed The Son by Philip Meyer, Chesapeake by James Michener,
America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray, Homegoing by Yaa gyasi, The Nix by Nathan Hill, Commonwealth by Ann Patchett … that is just since October so if you need more I’m happy to go on!

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Sarah

Penmarric, Penny Vincenzi’s publishing trilogy, The Morland Dynasty (35 books in the series so far!), Barbara Taylor Bradford A Woman of Substance trilogy, Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet series ….. oh I think I like sagas more than I realised!!

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Michelle

A lot of the virginia andrews book series’ are family based

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Tamar

Franzen’s The Corrections

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Maggie

The Spoils of Time trilogy by Penny Vincenzi is excellent

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Sarah

That’s what I meant! They’re very good aren’t they.

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Maggie

Loved them

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Cheyenne

Joy Dettman Woody Creek series is brilliant

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Rachel

The Thorn Birds

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Marilyn

Books of Rachel by Joel gross and Leah’s children and Maisie mosco almonds and raisins series.

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Debra

I am on Volume 2 (of 5)
of The Cazelet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Can’t recommend it highly enough -a brilliant family saga. (Being televised again, apparently).

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Sarah

They’re wonderful books, I’ve read them all twice. Enjoy!

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Debra

Don’t blame you -am enjoying so much. Thank you!

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Elaine

Brilliant x

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Kate

When are they being televised?

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Rachel

So excited about the thought of them being on to. Read this over Xmas which was great https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/24/elizabeth-jane-howard-enduring-love-artemis-cooper

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Debra

Gosh, that’s an utterly fascinating piece, which I hadn’t read before @Rachel. Thanks so much for sharing it.

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Sharyn

I read these last year and totally loved them.

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Jackson

I would also recommend The Son, and coincidentally for true crime I would actually recommend Son by Jack Olsen. Wild Abandon by Joe Donthorne, Pacific by Tom Drury, The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall (super family saga), The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead, of course As I Lay Dying by Faulkner, and Reading In the Dark by Seamus Deane (told from one perspective but about a family mystery)

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January

Little House in the Big Woods

Sarah Plain and Tall

The White Queen, The Virgin’s Lover etc.

I’m starting Winter Street soon it’s about a family I think 4 books.

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Jackson

Loverboy by Victoria Redel is one hundred percent about family dynamics, but the family is very purposely only a mother and her son

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Alisa

The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer

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Kelly

Loved this series!!

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Barbara

The first one I read was decades ago when I was young. The Forsythe Saga. It was also made into a
British series. Both excellent.

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Sarah

I remember that, just!

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Barbara

Also most of Ken Follet’s historical novels.

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Liz

As a teenager Catherine Cooksons Mallen Family Trilogy had me entranced and the Historical works of Jean Plaidy …..lovely books ? x

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Sarah

Oh the Mallens! With the white streak in the hair!

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Liz

@Sarah oh the nostalgia even watched it on tv x

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Sarah

So did I. I remember a vague crush on young Mallen haha!

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Liz

@Sarah oh my goodness me too ????

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Jane

One hundred years of solitude
Like water for chocolate
The Poisonwood Bible
Roots
Wild swans

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Rissa

These sound interesting. Are there any fantasy/scifi based ones? Or is that not really a thing?

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Jane

Not fantasy per se ,but one hundred years of solitude and like water for chocolate are both magic realism.

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Rissa

Cool, I will look them up!

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Janine

Monica mcinherney writes wonderfully refreshing stories based around families.

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Anne

Mary Jane Staples, she has done loads on the Adams Family. Based in south London by the Elephant and Castle. Fab books.

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Keira

Penny vincenzi the spoils of time trilogy

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Janie

Any of the books by Anne Tyler or Elizabeth Berg

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Elaine

I agree with the above Penny Vincenzi are all about family sagas

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Janet

Thornbirds

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Sandy

Buddenbrooksby Thomas Mann.

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Rebecca

I really liked Thornbirds

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January

A Series of Unfortunate Events

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Carole

The House and Secrets of Armstrong House by A O’Connor.Set in Ireland ….extremely good.

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Kate

Cazalet chronicles are amazing

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Linda

I really liked them.. but I feel the end was unfinished

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Kate

I agree there x

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Tina

Thorn birds! 1982?

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Gina

a woman of substance btb . flowers in the attic . heaven , all the virginia andrews books really

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Tina

Oh my yes!! Those too?

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Adele

Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. A fab family saga spread over 7 books.

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Jo

Edward Rutherfurd tells the story of different cities through family sagas across multiple generations. He has done at least London Paris and New York. I can’t remember which others

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Kate

Sarum, the forest, russka, Dublin…all awesome books x

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Michele

Seven sisters by Lucinda Riley, the story of a man who adopts 7 girls from different parts of the world, every girl tells her story.

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Rebecca

Can’t wait for the 4th book!!

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Jenn

Sarah’s key

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Allie

All my love Detrick – 5 books in series (must be read in order) from pre-war to Israel now – wonderful books

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Elyse

Commonwealth

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Sara

This has been coming up a lot on my radar, I’m going to have read it!

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Federica

A series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket

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Alli

The marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman!

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Sara

All my love Detrick = 5 books starting in German ending in Israel

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Linda

The Plantation Trilogy

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Tammy

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

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Kelly

One of my favorite Danielle Steel books – Family Album.

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Ernest

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

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Sara

The Middlesteins

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Pam

Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. We both really enjoyed it. Think there are 7 books in the series

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Stephanie

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathon Tropper.

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Hiba

Kane and Abel

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Philippa

The seven sisters series

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Yolande

Birdseye – Máire Fisher

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Sandie

Flowers in the blood.

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Laura

Bella Mafia great read

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Sophie

The century trilogy by Ken Follett… 3 books 3 generations. All fantastic!!

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Cathie

Flowers in the attic

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Liz

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Sprout – it was a rading group choice that only one of us had heard of but it was highly rated by all.

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Maggie

The Anne of Green Gables series. It remains a favourite of mine and has stood the test of time.

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Sara

Absolutley I still have my very first copy from the age of 12

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Liz

My Dad brought “Anne” home for me when I was about 12 – it was a hard back picked up in a second hand book shop. treasured and all the sequels which I subsequently had. My daughter has them all now and loves them just as much.

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Anne-Marie

The Forsyth saga

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Sarah

Roses

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Catherine

Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicle

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Jessica

Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch Trilogy and James Patterson’s Maximum Overdrive series.

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Debra

Julia Quinn – The Bridgertons. A great set of books that started me reading everything Julia has written. A great writer.

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Claire

The Poldark series by Graham Winston

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Lisa

The Almonds and Raisins trilogy by Maisie Mosco

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Judy

Jeffrey Archer’s multi book series under the main title of The Clifton Chronicles! Last book in the series was recently releases!

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Jane

The Glassblower Trilogy by Petra Durst-Benning

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Danielle

Atonement – Ian McEwan – phenomenal book!

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Claire

The Neyler quartet by Katie Flynne. The first book is called The Pride.

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Ana

The beautiful sorrows of ava lavender

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January

Shelley Shepard Gray usually writes series of 4 about one family from different family members points of view.

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