Books spanning several years

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I don't mean those epic books covering thousands of years.

Having just read One Day I'm looking for recommendations that follow characters over several years, seeing how their lives pan out. Maybe 20 or 40 or so.

Total cheese but Barbara Taylor Bradford Woman of Substance

Mariyan Keyes
Walsh sisters series are brilliant.
Watermelon 1995
Rachel's Holiday 1997
Angels 2002
Anybody out there 2006
Mystery of Mercy close 2012
Again Rachel 2022
My favourite mistake 2024

Also Trust Me by Lesley Pearce is a brilliant book.

The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif. Shortlisted for the Booker in 1999, this is a dual timeline of two women who fell in love with Egypt and Egyptian men.

The Neopolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante follows the friendship between two girls from a Naples slum through their lives.absolutely fabulous.

The Door by Magda Szabo. The story of the friendship between a woman and her housekeeper over several decades in communist Hungary.

War and Peace by Tolstoy. Follows several aristocratic families before and after Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia.

Lots of great suggestions already but I'd also add Stoner by John Williams and Diary of an Ordinary Woman by Margaret Forster.

Peaches and Honey - there is a slight hint of fantasy because the main character lives a long time but it's beautiful, covers years of history as well as the central characters on life story

I'll add A Gentleman in Moscow and 100 Years of Solitude.

A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

The Bee Sting and Gone with the Wind are two of my favourites

Any Human Heart - William Boyd
Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb.

The 7 sisters series by the wonderful - and much missed - Lucinda Riley.

My Real Children by Jo Walton

The Forsyte Saga - how one generation's actions have repercussions for the next and the next.

Another recommendation for Any Human Heart by William Boyd. Fantastic book.

Me too. Loved it as did everyone at book club (rare event)

Second Gone With The Wind - again been a fair few years since I read it.

Agree with Any Human Heart. One of my all time favourites.

I came here to recommend The Cazalet Chronicles too. One of my favourite series.

Time Travellers Wife sprung to mind
Phillipa Gregory usually encompassed the lifespan too

Another vote for Any Human Heart. I must reread it sometime.

The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett is also a good read.

I'll add Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer. An oldie, but a goodie.

The Spoils of Time trilogy by Penny Vincenzi spans about 3 generations. Also the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer is a 7 book series which spans maybe 40 years.

Also another vote for the seven Sisters series.

Two 80s early 20thc set romances by Lavyrle Spencer that I read fairly recently and really enjoyed:

Years https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/772716

Morning Glory https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/987577

Both have stuff in them that wouldn't get written now (it was acceptable in the 80s etc), but the writing & storytelling holds up very well. Also, re: the Years Goodreads link - That cover 🙄, takes me right back to my granny's mobile library book pile, and not especially indicative of the plot.

Tim Pears - In a Land of Plenty

Philip Henscher - Northern Clemency