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33 Sweeping Multigenerational Family Dramas
Why not focus on some serious family drama? Not yours, of course, but a fictional family whose story you can follow through the generations of triumph, turmoil, heartache, and homecomings.
We've rounded up some reader favorites, both new and classic, that span decades, characters, and—in many cases—continents. From classics including The Godfather, The House of the Spirits, and Roots to newer beloved novels like Pachinko and Homegoing, you're guaranteed to find a read here that will make you feel right at home.
Scroll over the book covers to learn more about each novel, and be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!
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Do you have a great family saga novel to recommend? Share it with your fellow readers in the comments below!
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 79 (79 new)
message 1:
by
Hazel Bee
(new)
Apr 06, 2021 04:15AM
Apparently I have a thing for multigenerational family drama. Most of these are either on my TBR or I have read. Who knew!
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The one that I was surprised to not see on this list is East of Eden!
Two of my favorites are The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett and The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer.
My favorite family saga is The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. I read it many years ago, but it has always stayed with me.
Let me add Nick Russell's new TINDER STREET, a family saga series set in Toledo, Ohio. Three books read and more on the way.
Lori wrote: "My favorite family saga is The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. I read it many years ago, but it has always stayed with me."The Shell Seekers is one of my favourite books! Riveting.
I'll add Centennial by Michener, a favorite generational saga of mine about the settling of the west.
The Practice House and The Moonflower Vine! Both excellent!
I loved The Thorn Birds, and The Shell Seekers. The best on the list is Cutting for Stone. It's such a well written and moving novel. The Grapes of Wrath could also be on the list.
I would also suggest Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It's been years now since I read it, but what an epic story! And Les Miserables by Victor Hugo ... so good! (Though, that's not really multi-generational.)
Ellie wrote: "The one that I was surprised to not see on this list is East of Eden!"I've been listening to that on Audible. It is magnificent! I had only read Mice and Men many years ago. He is a master writer.
Jean wrote: "I'll add Centennial by Michener, a favorite generational saga of mine about the settling of the west."Anything Michener will get my attention . I read POLAND .
I really liked The River Ki by Sawako Ariyoshi. It starts in the late 19th century and follows the long life of Hana, and contrasts her values with those of her daughter and granddaughter.
I've just read 'Fragile Monsters', by Catherine Menon which is out today. It's a multi-generation story set from WW2 to contemporary Malaysia.
Hola, I missed "100 years of solitude" of Gabriel García Marquez
Am currently reading How green was my valley by Richard Llewellyn. Certainly sweeping and has the 40's love of scenery and words.
A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford!
Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age by Jane Smiley. Three big books following the same midwestern family. Also, I don't know if they fit "sweeping, multi-generational" descriptors, but books like Pride and Prejudice and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings include 2-3 generations of family life. Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser (as well as books on the royals of the UK) show a different kind of multi-generational family. I like them all!
Lori wrote: "My favorite family saga is The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. I read it many years ago, but it has always stayed with me."Yes, I agree. It should have made the list.
Tacy wrote: "What about that classic The Thorn Birds?!"The Thorn Birds should have made the list too. An all time favorite.
Carol wrote: "Two of my favorites are The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett and The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer."I love the Ken Follett books!
I would add The Immigrant series by Howard Fast. Six books in the whole series and it was so good taking you through several families over 80+ years.
If you like The Thorn Birds, check out the Lazare Family Saga, by Elizabeth Bell. Book #1 is Necessary Sins, and there are 4 books total. Sweeping storylines, engaging plots, characters you get invested in.
John Steinbeck's East of Eden should be on here as well! One of my favorite books of all time! :)
I finished reading Roots yesterday, and I've read The Thorn Birds, The Island of Sea Women, The Immortalists and now my to-read list has grown by another 13 titles from this list alone :-)
I would add Junot Díaz' The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoIt won a Pulitzer for a reason.
One of my faves, and you don't just get generational drama/history, but diversity, I had never read so much about a latin family before, and people need to know the story
Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy, is an awesome novel about three generations of women who fight for and support themselves and each other. Bloody brilliant. My book of the year. https://www.virago.co.uk/titles/stell...
No Pearl Buck or Murasaki Shikibu? What of Leila Meacham? I could name a lot of wonderful family sagas that arent listed on here...
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (plus The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop)!!!
"Foxes of Harrow" by Frank Yerby, "The Courtney Saga" by Wilbur Smith
and
"The Asian Saga" by James Clavell
coud be added to the list
How about The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard? Fabulous 5 book series!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBhPF..."The ice Palace Waltz" a multi=generational Jewish American novel, hope you'll look at the short video and your interest will be piqued by the family story in the midst of tumultuous events. Thanks, Barbara
García Márquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is the first book that crossed my mind when I came across this blog post's title. With dozens of translations and millions of copies in circulation, it was possibly the most compelling argument towards the author's 1982 Nobel prize. I was very surprised to see the book is absent from the listicle, therefore wish to mention it.
Sorry it’s on the list I was in a rage of fire and fury of love for the book. Sorry I can’t read lists but I did read Pachinko and it was one of the most engrossing books I’ve ever read.
How about The Immigrants series by Howard Fast or North and South or The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes?
This is awesome! I did not realize how much I liked multigenerational family dramas! All of the ones that I have read are ones that I rated very highly, so I added all of the ones that I have not read to my TBR list.
