BookTrib is excited to present its first monthly article in partnership with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). WFWA is an international professional organization for writers of women’s fiction with over a thousand members.
Many of us are drawn to stories that intertwine contemporary storylines with historical ones. Whether you’re new to dual timeline stories or a longtime fan, here are seven novels to add to your TBR mountain:
Charleston Green by Stephanie Alexander
Charleston Green by Stephanie Alexander
Bublish, April 2020
Tipsy, a gifted artist, cannot ignore her nutty friends or her vindictive ex-husband, but as a lifelong reluctant clairvoyant, she’s always avoided dead people. When Tipsy and her three children move into the house on Bennett Street, she realizes some ghosts won’t be ignored. The latest release by Stephanie Alexander draws the reader into the drama of Tipsy’s life as she’s pulled into the mysterious death of Jane and Henry Mott in 1923.
Sweet Jane by Joanne Easley
Sweet Jane by Joanne Easley
Black Rose Writing, March 2020
By age six, Jane, a lonely and precocious child, knows vodka makes Mama mean. At sixteen, after years of dodging her drunken mama, Jane runs away and constructs a life that’s perfect on paper, at least until she returns for Mama’s funeral and finds herself spiraling back to the person she was. An emotionally driven self-discovery story from the past and present.
Today We Go Home by Kelli Estes
Today We Go Home by Kelli Estes
Sourcebooks, September 2019
Larkin Bennett, a US Army veteran dealing with the trauma of losing her best friend in Afghanistan, discovers the diary of Emily Wilson, a young woman who disguised herself as a man to fight for the Union in the Civil War. As Larkin struggles to heal, she finds herself drawn deep into Emily’s life and the secrets she kept. Today We Go Home explores the toll war takes and the strength of two women bound by duty to their country and their families.
Side Trip by Kerry Lonsdale
Side Trip by Kerry Lonsdale
Lake Union, July 2020
Joy Evers sets out on a cross-country road trip with the mission to complete her deceased sister’s Route 66 bucket list. Heading to New York to meet her fiancé, she agrees to give a ride to singer-songwriter Dylan. They strike a deal with three rules: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree. This heart-stirring story delves into the what-ifs of choices made and takes the reader on a twisty road that spans a decade.
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
Berkley, February 2015
Young American scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager to pursue her vision of a perfect life in Oxford, England interviews Isabel McFarland who has finally agreed to divulge her secrets from the devastation of her life as a young girl living through the war Hitler waged on London’s civilian population. Meissner effortlessly transitions between current-day England and 1940s England, creating two intertwined storylines that equally capture the reader’s heart.
Wrapped in the Stars by Elena Mikalsen
Wrapped in the Stars by Elena Mikalsen
The Wild Rose Press, February 2018
Struggling with guilt over her sister’s death, and the stress of her medical residency, Maya Radelis runs away to Scotland. She finds a century-old engagement ring at an antique store and follows the paper trail to the original owner of the ring, a Swiss woman physician who wore the ring during World War I. The story of two women separate by a century yet connected by a ring takes the reader from modern-day Paris to the medieval streets of Bern.
The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall
The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall
St. Martin’s Griffin, July 2018
In 1949, Charlotte’s dream of a career in advertising is shattered when her father demands she help with the family business. Meanwhile, Charlotte is swept into the glamorous world of the Miss Subways beauty contest. Nearly 70 years later, advertising executive Olivia is pitching the NYC subways account in a last-ditch effort to save her job. Olivia’s urgent search for the winning strategy and providing to the boss she’s secretly in love with, leads her to the historic Miss Subways campaign. This is a fabulous story of two strong women a generation apart who find themselves up against the same struggle to find balance between love, happiness, and ambition.
This is great! Thanks for the research done to find these wonderful books. Much appreciated.