I love books with two stories from different times intertwined. The authors on this list often write in this style, but I limited the list to one book per author.
10. Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio
Claire Aldridge is a reporter assigned to cover the 1933 blackberry winter storm. While researching she learns of an unsolved abduction the same day and vows to solve it. Through her research she discovers unexpected connections between herself and he child’s mother, Vera.
9. Off the Wild Coast of Brittany by Juliet Blackwell
Natalie and Alex were raised by survivalist parents. Once she reached adulthood, Natalie fled and sold a bestselling memoir about her experiences. The memoir ends with her falling in love, but real life ends with her boyfriend leaving her. Hiding this from the public, she’s living on a small island restoring her estranged boyfriend’s family guesthouse when Alex shows up with a secret of her own. The two uncover a cookbook from the WWII era and investigate the story of Violette, whose story the reader learns in alternating chapters.
8. Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain
In 2018 Morgan Christopher is released from prison to restore a mural from 1940. The mural holds the key to the mystery of what happened to the talented artist who disappeared without a trace. Like many of the books on this list, half of it takes place during WWII, however set in a small southern town, the war is not really part of the story other than vague references.
7. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
This book is different from the others on the list in that the two time periods are close together. Osla, Mab and Beth are code breakers during WWII. They are as close as sisters, until a betrayal turns them into enemies. In 1947 they reunite to unveil a traitor. Readers also get to meet a young Prince Phillip and Princess Elizabeth.
6. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
As far as her family knows, =retired librarian Eva Traube has lived a quiet life. No one suspects that once upon a time she forged papers which helped Polish Jews escape to Switzerland. But, when she recognizes a book from a photo, she must follow its trail.
5. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
Sarah Blake is a bestselling author desperate for a new idea. When she discovers secrets regarding her great-grandfather’s death on the Lusitania, she goes to England to investigate. With three different authors there are three very distinct points of view, that manage to come together to make an intriguing story.
4. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
In the late 1930’s a Memphis adoption agency kidnapped poor children and sold them to rich parents. In the present day Avery Stafford has a chance encounter which leads her to dig into her family’s history. I love the Wingate finds lesser known pieces of history to write about. I knew nothing of this real-life scandal.
3. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
When Cassandra’s grandmother dies, she inherits a book of fairy tales written by an authoress who disappeared in the early 1900’s. As she investigates, she finds unexpected family secrets. This one is more than a dual timeline as the story spans from the 1890’s to the present.
2. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
If I didn’t limit this list to one book per author, it would’ve been almost entirely comprised of Susanna Kearsley books. It was a difficult decision, but the second book in her Scottish series is my favorite. Nicolla has the gift of seeing the past through touching objects. Through a wooden firebird carving, she traces the history of a young girl named Anna and the Jacobite movement. The ending makes more sense if you’ve read The Winter Sea, but it works as a stand alone as well.
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Vianne and Isabelle are sisters living in France during WWII. As the men go off to war, the women are left behind to deal with invading Nazi soldiers. Vianne does what she must to protect her family, while Isabelle joins the resistance movement. A beautiful story that will bring tears to your eyes.
