Having multiple timelines is usually a sign that a story is complex. It weaves together seemingly different events that eventually culminate into one satisfying conclusion.
These books can offer depth and insight that linear narratives might not be able to. The readers are encouraged to discover how these timelines are linked and how they eventually end.
Books With Dual Timelines
Typically, books with dual timelines deal with characters connected in some way despite living in different eras or settings. Below are just a few of these stories.
1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Writer Vida Winter has always lived an eccentric and mysterious life. For decades, she’s eluded questions about her past, often penning false lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is finally ready to reveal the truth.
She hires Margaret Lea, an amateur biographer with her own secrets. Each day, they dive into Vida’s troubling story, leading Margaret to confront her past.
2. The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor
NOW:
Sixteen-year-old Alice is in Paris—not for vacation, but to solve a mystery. When her grandmother passed away two months ago, she left her an apartment that’s been sealed for over 70 years. But the more she investigates, the more mysteries she unearths, including those her family still refuses to talk about.
THEN:
To sixteen-year-old Adalyn, Paris is no longer what it once was, occupied by the Nazis as it is. Then she meets Luc, an enigmatic resistance leader who shows her how to fight back. But as the war goes on, she begins to lose more of herself than she could afford to.
3. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
In 1986, Eddie spends his days looking for adventure with his friends. They communicate via hidden messages drawn in chalk. Their fun ends when a chalk man appears, leading to a dead teenager.
In 2016, Eddie is an alcoholic desperately trying to forget his past—until he receives a letter with the same chalk figure. When one of his friends ends up dead, he realizes that he must figure out what happened all those years ago if he wants to survive.
4. Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
It is 1973 and Civil Townsend, fresh out of nursing school, intends to make a difference. But, while working at the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic in Alabama, she is shocked to learn the truth about two of her young patients.
Years later, and with a grown daughter of her own, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire. But first, she must find peace with the people she’s met and the secrets they carried.
5. The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick
In 1898, Evelyn marries the successful novelist William Aubrey. The marriage turns sour when William, suffering from writer’s block, steals Evelyn’s story and passes it off as his own. From then on, she is determined to write her way out of the marriage.
In 2006, Abigail discovers both a clue about her unidentified father and that her grandmother is the author Evelyn Aubrey. She flies to England, discovering a twisted tale of how a brilliant woman vanished and is believed to have been murdered.
6. The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
It is 1999 and New Year’s Eve ends with a tragedy at a Blockbuster Video store. Four teenagers are attacked and only one survives. A suspect is quickly identified, who then flees and disappears.
Fifteen years later, more teens are attacked in the same town, again with only one survivor. The past and present intertwine as both survivors forge a connection while a fierce but pregnant FBI agent searches for the truth.
7. The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch
A young girl’s life is shattered when she is forced to flee Russia with only her mother. Now with an English name, Rosie has a loving fiance and a future to look forward to.
But all she wants is to understand her past. So when her mother dies and leaves her a key, she returns to Russia. There, she uncovers family secrets that span many of Russia’s significant events that all lead up to her present.
8. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
In 1862, a group of young artists, led by visionary Edward Radcliffe, arrive at Birchwood Manor, intent on spending their summer there in creative bliss. However, by the end of their stay, a woman is shot dead, another has gone missing, and a priceless heirloom is lost.
Over a hundred years later, Elodie Winslow, an archivist, makes a discovery that will forever tie her to the events that took place in Birchwood Manor.
9. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
In the 1950s, four girls live together in Vermont’s Idlewild Hall, where all the troublemakers go. Their friendship blossoms over their shared fears until one of them mysteriously disappears. Whispers abound over the institution’s supposed curse.
Fast forward to 2014. Fiona Sheridan has never gotten over her sister’s murder—her body found near the ruins of Idlewild. When she learns that an anonymous benefactor is paying to restore the school, she decides to write about its history. It isn’t long before she discovers secrets that someone prefers to stay hidden.
10. Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
In 1969, Trang works as a bar girl in Sài Gòn. In return for money, they give American GIs everything they need and more. She falls in love with Dan, a black American GI, who inevitably leaves her behind.
Decades later, Phong—the son of a black man and a Vietnamese woman—is searching for his parents and a way out of Vietnam. All three converge as they seek redemption and understanding from decisions made in their shared past.
11. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Shelby Tebow goes missing, quickly followed by Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah. All three vanish just blocks away from each other, leaving the community in perpetual fear. The trail goes cold and only questions remain.
Then, 11 years later, Delilah returns to everyone’s shock. They all want to know what really happened but no one is prepared to hear the answer.
What other books with dual timelines do you like? Share them in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
