Although there are many books that pull this off, I thought I’d highlight some more recent favorites that follow particular characters (rather than generations of a family) over a long period of time. These stories range in time period and genre, although most tend to fall into the historical fiction category. Almost all are tearjerkers, so make sure you have some tissues handy! Want more epic books that cover a large swathe of time? Check out our round up of ten books that place over a really long span of time — not all of these follow the same characters, but many do! Bonus: Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu Rising also follow their characters over many years.

Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 12Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 76Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 87Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 99Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 72Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 76Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 64Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 31Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 26Books That Follow a Character Over Years or Decades - 57