A quick and easy question today! Family sagas – are you in or are you out?
Series seem to be pretty popular these days and family sagas seem to be the rage – Susan May Warren‘s Christiansen family, Dani Pettrey‘s McKenna clan, Denise Hunter‘s McKinleys, even Karen Kingsbury‘s Baxter family who populated more books than I can count! And who could forget Dee Henderson‘s O’Malleys? Orphans who created their own family.
What appeals to you (or not) about a series of books that focus on the one family? Do you have any favourites?
I’d love to know your thoughts…
January 27, 2015 at 3:12 pm
With exception to one family (who seemed to have more longevity than I liked), I’ve loved this trend! I enjoyed Dani’s and Denise’s along with many others you mention above. I find it a great trend because it allows for the character’s to be fleshed out more so than a standalone plus most of the time, the family dynamics seem very relatable to our daily lives. Love this question, Rel. 🙂
January 28, 2015 at 9:45 am
Rissi » Hehe! I’m with you…I think!
January 28, 2015 at 11:29 am
Rissi, I’m with you as well.
January 27, 2015 at 5:57 pm
I love family series if each book involves the various family members. I don’t want all of their viewpoints, but I want them to feel like family. Kaye Dacus has the series about the Guidry family and Lori Wick has The Californians series and The Cameron series. I guess if one loves the characters from the first book one is happy to keep hearing about them. Once you get to know the siblings in the first book you can relax and look forward to their own adventures in follow-up novels. You already know their personalities, so they are familiar to you. You go into each new book with the expectation of being with great friends or family. You know them well by now, so it’s like meeting at a reunion.
January 28, 2015 at 9:44 am
Sylvia M. » Appreciate your insightful thoughts, Sylvia. I’ve just finished Dani Pettrey’s Sabotaged and I actually enjoyed the cameo appearances of the siblings from previous books a little more than the main characters arc! Oops!!
January 29, 2015 at 12:23 am
That’s how I feel about Kaye’s books.
January 29, 2015 at 2:06 am
Lori, I’m waiting for a historical family series from your pen now!:)
January 29, 2015 at 4:37 am
Hi Sylvia! So glad to hear you are looking forward to it. 🙂
January 27, 2015 at 6:33 pm
I’ve loved Dani and Susie May’s series and I’m looking forward to #2 in The Darling Family by Carre Armstrong Gardner. So I think I love them… to a point. I’ve worked out the tipping point for me is Book 6. After that I’m like, okay, time to move on now!
The one exception to that is if it’s multigenerational. For example, in the nineties Jane Peart did a series that was about 13 books but because they went from the 1700s through to WWII it worked because the setting was constantly changing.
January 28, 2015 at 9:43 am
Kara I » I like your 6 book tipping point, Kara 🙂 I remember Jane’s books – I think I read one or two of them. Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series did a similar thing but closer in time.
January 27, 2015 at 8:59 pm
I’ve read some and I think they’re ok. This is probably not going to happen but I wish sometimes that they’d be more realistic. Everyone in the family ends up having a happy ending. Sure they may have bumps along the way but by the end of each story, each sibling always ends up with someone. IF there is a sibling that’s going to stay single, then they don’t end up getting their own story. Then again family sagas usually tend to be contemporary romance stories so this is not surprising.
January 28, 2015 at 2:57 am
“IF there is a sibling that’s going to stay single, then they don’t end up getting their own story.”
What you say here is interesting, Deborah. I’ve never thought of it that way. I wonder how it would be to have a mix of contemporary romance/and women’s fiction in the same series. With the story of the single person, you’d have to really find an interesting topic/plot to appeal to the romance readers and plain, fiction lovers.
January 28, 2015 at 9:41 am
Deborah » Terrific thoughts, Deborah – yes, I can’t see that happening, either, but it would be great if it did 🙂
January 28, 2015 at 11:28 am
I will say…it’s more of a family saga because it went from the 1600s to 1940s but I did enjoy that darn 40 book House of Winslow series from Gilbert Morris back in the day.
January 28, 2015 at 11:34 am
This is a great series. If you are not aware, he actually did a prequel trilogy set during the time of the Tudors, too, making it 43.
January 27, 2015 at 11:55 pm
For the most part, I have liked series that feature a family. Two that I have especially liked are Terri Blackstock’s Moonlighter and Intervention series and Lisa Harris’ Southern Crimes series. But I don’t really seek this type of book out — if the genre is suspense, it strains logic to think that that many bad things can happen to one family ;). Susan May Warren’s Daughters of Fortune series appealed to me because it was multi-generational.
January 28, 2015 at 9:41 am
Beckie B. » Great thoughts, Beckie. Susan’s was excellent, I agree.
January 27, 2015 at 11:59 pm
I love series that incorporate a family. It’s fun to read about each new family member and still visit the previous family members!
January 28, 2015 at 9:40 am
Shannah Mauney » 🙂
January 28, 2015 at 12:20 am
I love series books so the family ones appeal to me. I especially liked Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series.
January 28, 2015 at 9:40 am
Loraine N. » I think the O’Malleys hit the spot for many a reader, Loraine. Thanks so much for sharing.
January 28, 2015 at 12:28 am
I love family sagas. I’ve read several. There is a British author, Cynthia Harrod Eagles, whose series I started reading back in the 70s. I loved the first 6 books, starting with The Founding. After that, I lost interest, but I loved those first 6.
January 28, 2015 at 9:39 am
Ane Mulligan » I loved a family series by a British author, too, Ane. I can’t remember who it was, though! Ack…I’m getting old if I can’t remember books I read in my teens. It will come to me eventually 🙂
January 28, 2015 at 1:56 am
Yes, I enjoy family series. They appeal to me because there are some characters that although they maybe secondary in the story, you connect with and want to know more about. Family series gives the author an opportunity to develop their individual stories with the reader being familiar with the other characters already. Plus, it’s nice reading about how the other family members are progressing book to book. Some of my favorites are:
* Dee Henderson – O’Malley’s
* Julie Lessman’s – O’Connor
* Susan May Warren’s – Christiansen
* MaryLu Tyndall – Westcott sisters in Charles Town Belles
* Mary Connealy- has several family series
January 28, 2015 at 9:37 am
Amy » Great reasons to enjoy family series, Amy – thanks for sharing the ones you have loved.
January 28, 2015 at 2:14 am
I never set out to read a family series, but inevitably if the first book is well written, I get drawn in. When I finish one story, then I want to find out what happens to the other family members because they feel familiar to me. Actually this is true of any series where the characters have some sort of tie to each other. It doesn’t have to be family, it could be friends or a small community group.
Some non-family series I enjoyed were
The Potluck Club by Linda Shepard Evans and Eva Marie Everson
The Boo Series by Rene Gutteridge
The Prairie Series by Catherine Palmer
The Midwives Series by Laurie Alice Eakes
Ronie Kendig’s series
Really any series by Susan May Warren
and of course many more.
January 28, 2015 at 9:37 am
Brittaney » It is that sense of community that draws readers in, Brittaney – you are spot on! Thanks for sharing your favourites 🙂
January 28, 2015 at 2:58 am
Not a “family” but I enjoyed Robin Jones Gunn’s Glenbrooke series because each one featured a close friend starting from the initial couple and branching out.
January 28, 2015 at 9:36 am
Sparksofember » Yes, I enjoyed that series many, many years ago! It’s a different approach but a similar idea, I agree.
January 28, 2015 at 11:26 am
ah I loved the Glenbrooke series because it tied in with her Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series so it was all one big connection.
January 28, 2015 at 11:16 pm
Deborah » I never read the Christy and Sierra series, Deborah, so I didn’t know that. Fascinating!
January 28, 2015 at 9:13 am
I LOVE family sagas!!! They are my absolute favorites!!! In fact a family saga is what got me to start reading Christian fiction. I have loved historical fiction for many, many years. I was reading John Jakes’ Kent Family Chronicles and was loving them, except for the language and certain scenes that did not exhibit Christian worldview. I had been working in a Christian bookstore for a few months when I saw a similar series beginning which would be Christian and published by Bethany House. I was so excited! I picked up “The Honorable Imposter” as soon as we got it in and read it within a few days and fell madly in love!!! So yes, the House of Winslow is my favorite family saga of all time. I was blessed to become friends with Gilbert Morris and actually edit several of the titles. I also got to pick where “Aaron Winslow” would appear in the family tree! I do think Gilbert has done this type of series in historical form better than any with his Winslow, Bradford, Rocklin, Wakefield, and Stuart family sagas. As with any series I have enjoyed some titles more than others, but that is always the case in a series. Not too long after starting these, CF became my dominant reading material by far. And there is nothing better!!! Great question, Rel!
January 28, 2015 at 9:35 am
Aaron McCarver » I thought you would be the one to mention Gilbert Morris’ work, Aaron 🙂 He certainly wins for the number of books in a family series – LOL!
January 28, 2015 at 11:33 am
While I enjoy the contemporary family series, what really appeals to me a historical one. My favorites have been the Zion Covenant series by Brock and Bodie Thoene and a series by Liz Curtis Higgs (not sure of series name) that began with Thorn in My Heart.
Fun to read through the responses!
January 28, 2015 at 11:15 pm
Staci » Hey Staci – yes, Liz’s series was called the Lowlands of Scotland series.
January 28, 2015 at 11:38 am
Family Sagas are probably my favorite type of series! I love getting to know each member of the family and when you read so many books about the same people you can’t help but feel like a part of the family! I actually just did a post last week on my top ten fictional families which were:
The O’Conners from Julie Lessman’s O’Conner Family Saga
The Christiansens from Susan May Warren’s The Christiansen Family
The O’Malleys from Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Series
The McClares from Julie Lessman’s The Heart of San Francisco Series
The McKennas from Dani Pettrey’s Alaskan Courage Series
The Novaks from Sarah Sundin’s Wings of Glory Series
The Bentarrinis from Lisa T. Bergren’s River of Time Series
The McKinnleys from Denise Hunter’s Chapel Springs Series
The Davis’ family from Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly Series
The Donovans from Lori Wick’s The Californians Series
January 28, 2015 at 11:13 pm
Abbi Hart » Well, I think you have just proved my point about family sagas being popular, Abbi – what a great list!
January 28, 2015 at 12:57 pm
The Age of Faith Series by Tamara Leigh starting with “The Unveiling” Baron Garr Wulfrith and Lady Annyn Bretanne . . . oh be still my heart…. sigh.
January 28, 2015 at 11:12 pm
Pam » Gasp! Can’t believe I didn’t include the Wulfriths!!! ADORE that series, too, Pam 🙂
January 29, 2015 at 7:51 am
Merci, Rel!
January 29, 2015 at 7:49 am
Oh be still MY heart, Pam 🙂 Thank you!
January 28, 2015 at 2:26 pm
I do like family series because the end of a book is never really the end of a person’s story. I always want to know what happens next, so a family series is perfect for that. The only thing I don’t like is when the family series continues in a second series and details about the family are wrong – like referring to the character from the first series in the second and saying that they never married when they did and had several children.
Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series followed by her Prairie Legacy series was like that, but I did like the follow on.
I didn’t get right through Gilbert Morris’ House of Winslow series – I got to book 25 and couldn’t read any more.
Rebeca Seitz’ Sisters, Ink series is another good one. As is Irene Hannon’s Sisters and Brides series.
January 28, 2015 at 11:11 pm
Beth » Hey Beth – great comments 🙂 Rebeca’s series was fun, I agree 🙂
January 29, 2015 at 2:18 am
I think it must be about the physical and emotional connection. The “We can be ourselves and not have to put on a brave/polite face since this is family” attitude. This is partly what makes family series attractive. They don’t have to spend book time getting to know the supporting cast because they already have those built-in friendships.
There are some series that are called family series, but mise well not be because the siblings never cross paths over the whole course of the book. They’re each in separate locations and the other family members barely get a mention.
January 29, 2015 at 7:42 am
Sylvia M. » Great thoughts, Sylvia – thank you for sharing them!
January 29, 2015 at 6:53 am
I LOVED The O’Malleys!!
But the reigning queen of family sagas? That would have to be Tamara Leigh!!
Saint Tamara of the Barony of Chain Mail has a FABULOUS series about the Wulfiths, starting with The Yielding. If a person was to get the flu, or break a leg, those books would get you through your suffering. Ohhhh, yes they would.
Mmm hmmm.
Fans self.
What appeals to me is that the stories have a familiar thread woven through, we get to re-visit beloved characters and if well written, the reader see that the family is flawed, but devoted.
Also, from a writer’s standpoint, time and precious wordcount is saved because the readers already know the back story.
January 29, 2015 at 7:43 am
Jennifer Zarifeh Major » Ah, Jennifer! You are the best – I think we can arm wrestle over which of us loves the Wulfriths best 😉 Or maybe a little wager? Abel would be proud!!
January 29, 2015 at 7:45 am
We could always just pick a favourite kid, or choose which to eat first, a loaded pav, or cheesecake!!!
Garr. Garr would be proud.
January 29, 2015 at 7:52 am
So honored, Jennifer! I’m certainly missing my Wulfriths, but now I have the Boursiers, the Verduns, and the De Arells 🙂
January 29, 2015 at 8:07 am
yes you do!!!
And so do your very fortunate readers!
January 29, 2015 at 6:23 pm
And we are going to fall in love with those warring families, as well! Nothing like a nick of a blade here or there to show neighbourly love, right?!
January 30, 2015 at 12:00 am
Thank you, Rel. Yes, that nick of a blade 🙂
January 31, 2015 at 8:48 am
Tamara Leigh » ‘Tis true!
January 29, 2015 at 9:07 am
Count me in!! I’ll gladly shake hands with that flu bug infested kid on the corner if it means I can hunker down with a Tamara Leigh series and a bowl of chicken soup – – yum/yum!! I don’t get any better than that!!
January 29, 2015 at 6:23 pm
We must be kindred spirits, Pam!