# Books Set in Dual Time Periods - Like or Dislike?



## Marta Tandori (Nov 9, 2012)

It seems readers either like this type of book or they positively detest it because they find keeping up with both story lines to be challenging/awkward/distracting, etc.

I read Tess Gerritsen's THE BONE GARDEN several years ago.  It was a modern day/1830's dual time period book which I found absolutely fantastic (so much so that I will pick it up every now and then and reread it!).  One story complimented the other throughout the book.  It was a bit different from some of her other books in style but was just as wonderful.

So, here's my question - Which readers like dual time period stories and which ones are your favorites?  For those who don't, what is it about this type of book that doesn't appeal to you?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I've read a number of books that use that device. . . .some are better than others. . . it really depends on how well it's done.  I can't think of any off hand, however, that I recall as being particularly good or particularly bad.  Usually, I enjoy them.  I don't recall having found it awkward or distracting though, again, that would be a function of how well the author managed the story.

One danger is if the reader finds one time period more interesting than the other. . .then you have the same sort of problem as you get with books where there are a bunch of different characters and each chapter is about a different one.  It can be hard to read with attention the parts about the characters you don't care for as much.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I don't care for them much.  I've read some and can't think of any I like and I avoid them now.


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## SandraMiller (May 10, 2011)

One of my very favorite books ever was done with dual time periods, so I guess that means I like it   The book in question was The Eight, by Katherine Neville.  I still re-read it regularly.  I wore out my paperback and bought the newer trade paperback to replace it, and now I'm wearing it out, too


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Not generally my cup of tea, though nothing near as strong as "hate" about it in general. That would exclude, however, the many scifi and a few fantasy time-travel books where the story takes place in more than one time period -- except in that case you generally follow the same characters at plot line into those different time periods.


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## jabeard (Apr 22, 2011)

I have no real preference either way. The last book I read like that was Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution, which I felt somewhat suffered from being two separately interesting stories that just didn't really mesh that well even given some of the ambiguous nature of the plotting in that book.


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## Avis Black (Jun 12, 2012)

I'll read them, but if the transition between the time periods is too abrupt, it comes across as awkward and amateurish.


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## Patricia (Dec 30, 2008)

I actually tend to like these kinds of books.  One of my favorite books is "The Mirror" by Marlys Millhiser.  It's not available for Kindle yet, but I'm still hoping.  I'm looking forward to getting suggestions from this thread.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I enjoy any type of book if it's well done.  So, my question would be--does telling the story in dual time periods serve the story?  If so, I'm good.  If not, or if it seems forced, not so much.  But then, I feel the same way about point of view, forewords, epilogues, and many other things in books...

Betsy


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

Marta Tandori said:


> It seems readers either like this type of book or they positively detest it because they find keeping up with both story lines to be challenging/awkward/distracting, etc.
> 
> I read Tess Gerritsen's THE BONE GARDEN several years ago. It was a modern day/1830's dual time period book which I found absolutely fantastic (so much so that I will pick it up every now and then and reread it!). One story complimented the other throughout the book. It was a bit different from some of her other books in style but was just as wonderful.
> 
> So, here's my question - Which readers like dual time period stories and which ones are your favorites? For those who don't, what is it about this type of book that doesn't appeal to you?


I've always liked time travel stories, so I find dual time period stories kind of fun - it's always the "what if this happened instead of this" sort of thing that I find fascinating.

The one that comes to mind immediately is Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. An outstanding novel that my mother read for her book club - I then asked if I could borrow it and read it. I'm glad I did. The chapters go back and forth between 1980s Seattle and World War II Seattle, and the love between two (very) young kids, one a Chinese American the other a Japanese American. If you know anything about American history, you know that the federal government set up internment camps in the western and midwestern states for Japanese Americans - forgetting that most of the people interred were Americans (paranoia was rampant, needless to say). Anyway, it's a lovely story, with some humor, but it doesn't brush aside any prejudices that were prevelent during WW II.


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## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

I normally don't like books that go back and forth to different time periods unless the same characters are involved (time travel). As an earlier commenter pointed out, there's a risk of liking one story line better than the other. That being said, I read The Secret Keeper: A Novel by Kate Morton and loved it. The author developed both story lines well, and her transitions were smooth and captivating.


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## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

I like it if it is done well and the stories balance. 

Having well-balanced time periods is really hard in WWII HF. The past is usually so horrific that it makes the modern-day characters with their modern-day problems seem whiny and annoying in comparison.


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Barbara Erskine does it very well. I really enjoyed Lady of Hay.


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## BoomerSoonerOKU (Nov 22, 2009)

I can't say that I've read a lot of novels that use multiple time periods, but Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon" stands out as a fantastic novel that has story lines based in the late 90's (when the book was written) and WWII.


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## TonyBenson (Jul 8, 2013)

I think if the plot calls for dual time periods and it's well written it's as enjoyable as any other. I get easily confused, though. Sometimes if I don't get back to a book for a couple of days I can lose track of the timeframes, but that's a problem with me as a reader rather than the writing.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Patricia said:


> I actually tend to like these kinds of books. One of my favorite books is "The Mirror" by Marlys Millhiser. It's not available for Kindle yet, but I'm still hoping. I'm looking forward to getting suggestions from this thread.


Ditto for me; I absolutely love this book! Not only was it exciting, but both of the main characters were changed greatly by their experiences in the dual time zone, and in the end it was a deeply moving book as both were forced to make adjustments.

Another one I enjoyed that used this device was *Victoria Holt's Road To Paradise Island*, where the past held the key to the present.

Other than these two I can't think of any others that I have read, but I would definitely check out any that are recommended!


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