# Family sagas and GREAT long books



## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

I used to love family saga, women's fiction type books. I haven't read any in a long time but have a renewed interest. I'm now reading Susan Howatch's The Rich are Different. A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford was a favorite of mine years ago, too. 

Does anyone have any recommendations along these lines for GREAT reads, nice long stories to become totally immersed in?


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## lvhiggins (Aug 1, 2012)

Candee15 said:


> I used to love family saga, women's fiction type books. I haven't read any in a long time but have a renewed interest. I'm now reading Susan Howatch's The Rich are Different. A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford was a favorite of mine years ago, too.
> 
> Does anyone have any recommendations along these lines for GREAT reads, nice long stories to become totally immersed in?


/

Great thread. I miss those juicy family sagas, too, but I haven't read a womans-fiction-y one in years. I've been reading Ken Follett's century trilogy (Fall of Giants and now Winter of the World) which are multi-generational and LOOOOONG, but far more focused on the events than the relationships, imho. Instead, I've been getting my fix with big historical novels that are based around a woman's life, like Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay, and Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran.

I'll be interested to hear what other people recommend.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

lvhiggins said:


> /
> 
> Great thread. I miss those juicy family sagas, too, but I haven't read a womans-fiction-y one in years. I've been reading Ken Follett's century trilogy (Fall of Giants and now Winter of the World) which are multi-generational and LOOOOONG, but far more focused on the events than the relationships, imho. Instead, I've been getting my fix with big historical novels that are based around a woman's life, like Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay, and Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran.
> 
> I'll be interested to hear what other people recommend.


Have you read anything by Ciji Ware (such as Island of the Swans or A Cottage by the Sea) or Jennifer Donnelly (such as The Tea Rose, TheWinter Rose, The Wild Rose)? I haven't read any of these but am wondering...


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## lvhiggins (Aug 1, 2012)

Candee15 said:


> Have you read anything by Ciji Ware (such as Island of the Swans or A Cottage by the Sea) or Jennifer Donnelly (such as The Tea Rose, TheWinter Rose, The Wild Rose)? I haven't read any of these but am wondering...


I read Ciji Ware years and years ago and loved her writing. Jennifer Donnelly's The Tea Rose was *fabulous* but I had no idea she'd written more. I'm off to check them out....


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

R. F. Delderfield's trilogy of the Swann Family *God is an Englishman, Theirs Was the Kingdom, * and *Give Us This Day*,


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

Tatiana said:


> R. F. Delderfield's trilogy of the Swann Family *God is an Englishman, Theirs Was the Kingdom, * and *Give Us This Day*,


Tatiana,

Thank you for the recommendation. I never heard of this trilogy, so I'm excitedly hurrying to check these books out.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Tatiana said:


> R. F. Delderfield's trilogy of the Swann Family *God is an Englishman, Theirs Was the Kingdom, * and *Give Us This Day*,


I've been trying to remember the name of this trilogy for a long, long, time. Thank you. This is the one I've been looking for.


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## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

Edward Rutherfurd writes loooooong sagas, more about a place than a family, but multiple families are followed for centuries. My favorite is _London_, followed by _Sarum_ and _Russka_.


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## newportwa (Jul 18, 2009)

I am reading "...and Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santmyer.  It is really long and not on Kindle so hard for me to hold but it is good.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

newportwa said:


> I am reading "...and Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It is really long and not on Kindle so hard for me to hold but it is good.


Darn! Reading on my Kindle has spoiled me. I don't like reading book books anymore


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

Years ago I was immersed in The Forsyte Saga.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

LaRita said:


> Edward Rutherfurd writes loooooong sagas, more about a place than a family, but multiple families are followed for centuries. My favorite is _London_, followed by _Sarum_ and _Russka_.


Sarum, which is available for Kindle, Candee, is the only one of his I read. I was in Salisbury years ago and they were selling the book to raise money to repair the cathedral. That's where I bought it.



Jane917 said:


> Years ago I was immersed in The Forsyte Saga.


Ah, yes. Soames and Irene and Jolyon.


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## Jenni Norris (Oct 10, 2012)

The Delderfield Trilogy looks great - I loved his other works - A Horseman Riding By and To Serve Them All my Days. 

The Forsyte Saga is the ultimate family saga...brilliant TV series based on it too starring the English actor Damian Lewis playing Soames Forsyte (now he stars in the American Homeland series)

I also suggest Paullina Simons' trilogy The Bronze Horseman - fantastic stuff, based on the life of her grandparents.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Candee15 said:


> Have you read anything by Ciji Ware (such as Island of the Swans or A Cottage by the Sea) or Jennifer Donnelly (such as The Tea Rose, TheWinter Rose, The Wild Rose)? I haven't read any of these but am wondering...


I have read Jennifer Donnelly's first two. Very good. The last one is on my TBR list. 
deb


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

Jane917 said:


> Years ago I was immersed in The Forsyte Saga.


That's another series I've checked out but never tried. I was afraid it might be too "dry." Did you like it?


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

Jenni Norris said:


> The Delderfield Trilogy looks great - I loved his other works - A Horseman Riding By and To Serve Them All my Days.
> 
> The Forsyte Saga is the ultimate family saga...brilliant TV series based on it too starring the English actor Damian Lewis playing Soames Forsyte (now he stars in the American Homeland series)
> 
> I also suggest Paullina Simons' trilogy The Bronze Horseman - fantastic stuff, based on the life of her grandparents.


Oooh. Paullina Simons' books look good, too. I'm collecting all of these titles and buying some now and some later.


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## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

newportwa said:


> I am reading "...and Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It is really long and not on Kindle so hard for me to hold but it is good.


I've been waiting for this one to get to Kindle since I got my K1 in March of 08. This is one of my all time favorite books, so I keep clicking "I want to read this on Kindle" every time I get on Amazon.


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## ShannonLL (Oct 25, 2012)

The Bronze Horseman is amazing. So well researched and so tragic. I didn't like the sequels as much, but LOVED the first one.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

ShannonLL said:


> The Bronze Horseman is amazing. So well researched and so tragic. I didn't like the sequels as much, but LOVED the first one.


Hmmm. "Tragic" as in a really depressing book? I love sagas, but I like ones where I come away with a good feeling when I close the book.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I'm also a Susan Howatch fan. I had some other family sagas on my bookshelf that I was going to recommend, but when I looked for them I realised I gave them away when I started the big clear-out in preparation for moving to a smaller place. Curses. Now I won't be able to sleep until I remember the author's name  .


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I'm also a Susan Howatch fan. I had some other family sagas on my bookshelf that I was going to recommend, but when I looked for them I realised I gave them away when I started the big clear-out in preparation for moving to a smaller place. Curses. Now I won't be able to sleep until I remember the author's name .


Oh. Please remember


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Candee15 said:


> Oh. Please remember


Can I join in this request?
deb


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Candee15 said:


> Oh. Please remember


I remembered just as I switched off the light to go to sleep . Audrey Howard (or has someone already mentioned her?) She writes about Liverpool and Merseyside (where I originally come from) so I always grab her books.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

If you enjoy Family Sagas I would assume it's because you like character-driven stories. In that case, you will probably enjoy Monica Dickens, especially her earlier books. I would suggest you begin with _The Fancy_. It's just about the only book I've read more than once.

This is the blurb.

Inspired by Monica Dickens's own experiences of working in wartime, _The Fancy_ is set in an aircraft factory during the dark days of the Second World War, and takes us into the lives of its workers - Edward, Sheila, Dinah and the others - who hail from a motley of backgrounds and circumstances.
How they adjust to their surroundings and each, and how they solve their personal problems whilst coping with the grinding pressures of work, makes one of Monica Dickens's most absorbing novels.

Even her minor characters leap off the page. I often dip into it to get my mind in the right gear to start writing


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## LindaL (Oct 11, 2010)

Have you read the Thorn Birds?  LOVE that one!


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

LindaL said:


> Have you read the Thorn Birds? LOVE that one!


Yes, I have. What a WONDERFUL book!!!


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

LindaL said:


> Have you read the Thorn Birds? LOVE that one!


I read it after watching the TV series. She wrote another book (might be under a different name) that I think was set in a hospital. Another of the books that I gave away


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

Candee15 said:


> That's another series I've checked out but never tried. I was afraid it might be too "dry." Did you like it?


Loved it! Both the PBS series and the book.


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## JanMoran (Jun 17, 2012)

Hi Lynn,

I love those sagas, too! A Woman of Substance and The Thornbirds are among my favorites. Not long ago I read some of Elizabeth Adler's early novels: Peach, Leonie, and Fortune is a Woman. Excellent work. And then there's War and Peace--don't be daunted, it's like a giant Russian soap opera!  

Happy reading,
Jan


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## dkrauss (Oct 13, 2012)

Not exactly family saga, but Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle: _Quicksilver_, _The Confusion_, _The System of the World_. Epic.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Tatiana said:


> R. F. Delderfield's trilogy of the Swann Family *God is an Englishman, Theirs Was the Kingdom, * and *Give Us This Day*,





Candee15 said:


> Tatiana,
> 
> Thank you for the recommendation. I never heard of this trilogy, so I'm excitedly hurrying to check these books out.


I'll second this recommendation - one of the few books/series I'd really like to re-read. Also Delderfield wrote another series I loved, unfortunately not yet available for Kindle:
_A Horseman Riding By_
1. *Long Summer Day* (1966)
2. *Post of Honour* (1969)
3. *The Green Gauntlet* (196

And a wonderful stand-alone book that is on Kindle, *To Serve Them All My Days* "is the moving saga of David Powlett-Jones, who returns from World War I injured and shell-shocked. He is hired to teach history at Bamfylde School, where he rejects the formal curriculum and teaches the causes and consequences of the Great War. Eventually David earns the respect of his students and many of his fellow teachers, against the backdrop of a country struggling to redefine itself. As David falls in love and finds himself on track to possibly take on the headmaster role, he must search to find the strength to hold true to his beliefs as the specter of another great war looms."


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

JanMoran said:


> Hi Lynn,
> 
> I love those sagas, too! A Woman of Substance and The Thornbirds are among my favorites. Not long ago I read some of Elizabeth Adler's early novels: Peach, Leonie, and Fortune is a Woman. Excellent work. And then there's War and Peace--don't be daunted, it's like a giant Russian soap opera!
> 
> ...


I loved Peach and Leonie!!! Those are definitely the types of books I'm looking for. I read them many years ago. I have NOT read Fortune is a Woman, though, so thank you sooooo much for that recommendation.


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## Austin Wimberly (Jun 7, 2012)

A long family saga...  hmmm...  Oh, Anna Karenina would work nicely, I think.  David Copperfield, while more of a coming of age story, is also a kind of family saga.

For something more recent that is less long but highly intriguing as a family saga is We Need to Talk about Kevin.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

I have to say the Charybdis Novels by the KB's own KA Thompson fantastic series of family drama. 5 books total each pretty long and inexpensive the first three are in a bundle the 4this called The King& Queen of perfect normal. The 5th is The flipside of here


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Not many think of it as such perhaps as the movie always emphasizes the romance, but Gone With the Wind is a great family saga. The book relates in more details the history and misfortunes of Scarlett and her family and friends, and how the Civil War forever affected their lives.

Also, Little Women is a personal favorite that takes place over a 15 year span in the lives of 4 sisters. All of them are imperfect, all of them battle their inner demons to become the women they felt they were meant to be. Lots of laughs and tears with characters who are sooo relateable to all of us, as well as romances that are touching, funny, or downright romantic in a dream-come-true kind of way.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

As a matter of interest, do you prefer sagas set in your home country? Although I've lived in South Africa for more than half of my life, I must confess to enjoying sagas set in the UK where I was born and grew up.


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## HildaR (Nov 17, 2012)

If you like Susan Howatch you'll love her six novels with a Church of England setting, all with characters of the same families. I'm not at all religious - on the contrary - but I thoroughly enjoyed them.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

HildaR said:


> If you like Susan Howatch you'll love her six novels with a Church of England setting, all with characters of the same families. I'm not at all religious - on the contrary - but I thoroughly enjoyed them.


Have you read the St. Benet's Trilogy with Nicholas Darrow and Lewis Hall? The first one is a little weak compared to the other two, but still very enjoyable.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

HildaR said:


> If you like Susan Howatch you'll love her six novels with a Church of England setting, all with characters of the same families. I'm not at all religious - on the contrary - but I thoroughly enjoyed them.


I purchased them all and am looking forward to reading them. Right now I'm about 3/4 of the way through Sins of the Fathers. I don't want it to end. It's fabulous!


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## lvhiggins (Aug 1, 2012)

Candee--

I just stumbled onto this website dedicated to sagas and thought you'd be interested:

http://strictlysagas.blogspot.com/


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

lvhiggins said:


> Candee--
> 
> I just stumbled onto this website dedicated to sagas and thought you'd be interested:
> 
> http://strictlysagas.blogspot.com/


Thanks so much for finding this useful website . Not only a great place to find my favourite genre, but I'll also be contacting them about submitting _The Breadwinners_.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

lvhiggins said:


> Candee--
> 
> I just stumbled onto this website dedicated to sagas and thought you'd be interested:
> 
> http://strictlysagas.blogspot.com/


Thank you sooooo much. How exciting!


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## lvhiggins (Aug 1, 2012)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> Thanks so much for finding this useful website . Not only a great place to find my favourite genre, but I'll also be contacting them about submitting _The Breadwinners_.


My pleasure! Best of luck!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

lvhiggins said:


> Candee--
> 
> I just stumbled onto this website dedicated to sagas and thought you'd be interested:
> 
> http://strictlysagas.blogspot.com/


I'll be visiting there when I finish reading all my Howatch historicals. Thanks so much.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

lvhiggins said:


> My pleasure! Best of luck!


Thanks. _The Breadwinners_ is now on the Strictly Sagas website.

You might also like to try http://www.bookmatchers.com/ which is a new website that matches readers with the books they enjoy. It's still in its infancy and they would appreciate feedback from readers.


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## lvhiggins (Aug 1, 2012)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> You might also like to try http://www.bookmatchers.com/ which is a new website that matches readers with the books they enjoy. It's still in its infancy and they would appreciate feedback from readers.


Thanks Jan. I'll check it out!


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