War time family sagas - plus audiobook recommendations

[booklover125212]

Hi everyone
Completely by chance I came across Ginny Bell's Dover Cafe book series and have been absolutely hooked. There is another one coming out next year, but having rattled through all the ones in the series so far, I am looking for recommendations for similar wartime sagas that span several books.

Also - does anyone have any recommendations for where I can enjoy free audiobooks. I have Libby with my local library, but they are light on the wartime family sagas (they seem to prefer ebooks).

Thank you!

P.S It goes without saying I would really recommend the Dover Cafe series!

The Cazalets by Elizabeth Jane Howard.

Cynthia Harrod Eagles Goodbye Piccadilly series

Catrin Collier Hearts of Gold Series

@RampantIvy I loved the Cazalets (so sad when I finished the last one). Although the DC series isn't quite the same - it is more condensed in time and intense.

@Iwanttoliveinagardencentre - thank you! Is the Picadilly one a series or a stand alone book?

Josephine Winspear - Maisie Dobbs series. More detective than family but does have a strong family undertow. From just after WWI to WWII. Around 20+ books.

Ford Maddox Ford: Parade’s End

Evelyn Waugh: The Sword of Honour

Oh, and A Dance to the Music of Time involves the war

The Michael Maloney audiobook of Evelyn Waugh is one of my all time favourites.

The Century trilogy by Ken Follett

I have those on Kindle, but haven't got round to reading them yet. I loved the Kingsbridge trilogy. Are they as good?

Sorry I haven’t read any other Ken Follett books. The first two in the trilogy are really gripping, I found the last one less so.

Look at Maureen Lee. I’ve really enjoyed her sagas all set around Liverpool, lots of them during war time. She’s written loads, some of them connected and others stand alone.

Also, say what you want about Nadine Dorries as a politician but I really enjoyed her Four Streets saga.

Ellie Dean’s Cliffehaven series has I think 21 books so would keep you busy for a bit!

Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher is epic and incudes WW2 as well as the press war years.

Helen Forrester's autobiography series (Twopence to Cross the Mersey to Lime Street at 2)
Mary Jane Staples' Adams' Family books (set from beginning of WW1 through to late 1950s)
Joan Jonker's Nellie and Molly stories

R F Delderfield - Diana

The Woolworths Girls series by Elaine Everest is similar, very heartwarming easy reading.

The Camomile Lawn

Jambusters by Julie Summers. It was a stand alone book, but after ITV made a TV series based around it, there were more books added to the series which carries on the stories of the women.

Six books:
Goodbye Piccadilly
Keep the home fires burning
The land of my dreams
The long, long trail
Till the boys come home
Pack up your troubles

The Balkan Trilogy- Olivia Manning

Try BorrowBox @booklover125212, it’s a similar app to Libby.

That sounds perfect!

I'll Bring You Buttercups by Elizabeth Elgin is set during the first world war but the other books in the series are set during the second world war.
She also has a stand alone book, One Summer at Deer's Leap which is one of my favourite books.

Pat Barker Life Class trilogy. First two are WW1 and the third is WW2

R F Delderfield - Diana

His A Horseman Riding By trilogy covers both WWs. Though I much prefer To Serve Them All My Days, which goes from the last months of WW1 to the start of WW2.

Not a book, but a radio series, and it’s set in WW1. But anyway, Home Front, on BBC Sounds. There are HOURS AND HOURS of it.