The Burning Roses

Morland Dynasty #29

by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

In 1915 the first euphoria of the war has worn off, but the nation is more determined than ever to win. When Ned is sent to the Front ahead of his battalion, Jessie, already involved in various charity works, feels the need to do more and becomes an auxiliary nurse. But life on the wards is harder than she expects. Meanwhile, Helen and Jack settle in a home of their own at last, and Helen takes on a surprise war role of her own. And for Violet in London, a chance meeting with talented young artist threatens to destroy her calm and ordered life.

With stalemate on the Eastern Front, everything now hangs on the new September offensive on the Western Front, the Battle of Loos. Both Ned and Bertie will be leading their men over the top, leaving the rest of the family to pray for their safe return.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Romance, Fiction

544 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (aka Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett)

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.

She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.

She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.

In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.

Reviews

[John Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morland Dynasty #29, 1915, 530 pages.
This is not one of the better ones, in my opinion. There's really a lot about life and death at the front, as Morland men are directly involved. Their wives / girlfriends / lovers suffer at home in various ways, but our heroines try to keep busy doing things for the war effort and trying to find personal satisfaction in so doing. That's not all they're busy at, though, as the reader can find out for themselves.
In these books which are relatively closely spaced in time, there are a lot of recurring characters. This is where it would be most important to read the books in order if possible. When you have already read later ones, you have 20 / 20 "hindsight" and can urge the characters "don't do that", but they do it anyway. Oh well, c'est la vie.
There isn't much happiness in this book - it's depressing - and what little there is probably won't turn out well.
As usual, the author does a good job of interweaving real history into her fictional world. I started experiencing a bit of deja vu with some events and passages, and I wonder if perhaps there was some repetition between this series and the War at Home series, which I have already read.
I'm giving this one a rating of 3.2.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

1915. As The Great War enters its second year various members of the Morland family are involved in a variety of ways. Both Ned and Bertie are serving in France, while Jack recovers from his plane crash, and works on the design end of aviation. Jessie volunteers at a local hospital, and despite the hard work, also feels pride in helping. In London, Violet has an exciting secret. Somehow the author weaves all these pieces together, creating a book that is hard to put down — and making me want to jump into the next one immediately to find out what happens to these characters. Recommended.

[Teresa “Teri” · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank Goodness!

I can’t imagine reading The Morland Dynasty Series when it was first written! The thought of having to wait between books.. even if it were only months ...would be nearly impossible!
On to the next in this amazing family saga.

[Winifred · Rating 4 out of 5]

continuing this book series. great descriptions

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this historical fiction series which follows the stories of generations from the same family home in England. This volume in the series finds the women grappling with how to make a difference and reconcile their ambitions with their place in society and their relationships with various other men & women. Everyone in the story struggles with the changing economy and the ugliness of the trench fighting during first world war.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another year in the First World War for the Morlands. This focuses less on the battlefield than the previous book- we hear more about Jessie nursing and what Violet and Venetia are up to. Once again, the battle scenes are highly detailed. I was a little upset that the Anzac only rated a couple of paragraphs, but I suppose this is the English version of history- Aussies would say (a lot) more about the 'heavy losses' at Anzac Cove.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The events of 1915 include major battles with heavy casualties for the British. The men of the Morland family are widely employed in the war, from Ned and Bertie at the front, to Lennie guarding the Suez Canal and Frank in Malta. A star-crossed love affair lends intrigue and there is much about the war on the home front in Britain as well as scenes of battle in Belgium and France. Both the London and Yorkshire branches of the family have adventures in this book.

[sminismoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to catch up with the morland dynasty again. The women are as usual stuck in loveless marriages, having affairs or otherwise challenging social conventions (like flying aeroplanes and practising medicine). Another fabulous historical romp where you can switch your brain off and simply be entertained.

[Karoline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so sad!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can feel the dirt and the mud and the rain of the trenches. Chilling.

[Sarah Hearn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it a bit too long.

[Edith Clayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is many the long, detailed battle scenes. They're just not my thing.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtitle: Morland dynasty, 500 years of war and bad marriages.