Only Time Will Tell

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer is Volume 1 of The Clifton Chronicles—a saga that will cover 100 years of family history. Set in Bristol, England just after World War I, it introduces Harry Clifton, the son of a dockworker whose sharp mind and unexpected gift for singing attract attention and win him a scholarship to an exclusive boys' school. The book features two families: the working-class Cliftons, including Harry’s feisty, attractive mother, and the wealthy Barringtons, including Sir Walter and Hugo, the docks’ shipping magnates. Themes of class, the power of wealth, integrity, and betrayal play out with plot twists, and the setting as England prepares for a second war makes this more than a coming of age story. The story is told by different characters over time, combining first-person accounts with third-person storytelling, adding perspective to the novel's events. It's a well-paced, enjoyable read—with a cliff-hanger ending that has me waiting for the next volume!

Historical fiction—including family sagas written as series—offer hours of great reading. Consider these series while you wait for the next volume of the Clifton Chronicles, The Sins of the Fathers, due out in May 2012:

Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth series, begins in twelfth century England and follows the lives entwined in the building of a great gothic cathedral; begin with Pillars of the Earth.

Jack Whyte’s Camulod Chronicles begins with The Skystone and recounts the origins of Camelot based on Arthurian legend.

Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove series embraces the legend and fact of the American West. Begin with the Pulitzer Prize winning Lonesome Dove.

Beverly Swerling’s City of Four series, begins in New Amsterdam in the 1660’s as immigrants make their way in what will be the greatest city of the new world. Begin with City of Dreams.

What historical fiction series have you enjoyed?