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Morland Dynasty #9
The Flood-Tide
1772 - George III; the American War of Independence
England is peaceful under George III, and Morland Place flourishes under the careful tending of Jemima and her loyal husband Allen. Their seven children often bring them heartache, but they are sustained by their love for each other and their absorbing interest in improving the estate lands. But beyond England's shores things are not so calm. Morland cousins find themselves embroiled in the American war for independence, and the family's bastard offshoot, Henri, disports himself in the salons of Paris while outside revolution creeps closer.
England is peaceful under George III, and Morland Place flourishes under the careful tending of Jemima and her loyal husband Allen. Their seven children often bring them heartache, but they are sustained by their love for each other and their absorbing interest in improving the estate lands. But beyond England's shores things are not so calm. Morland cousins find themselves embroiled in the American war for independence, and the family's bastard offshoot, Henri, disports himself in the salons of Paris while outside revolution creeps closer.
428 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 1986
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258 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
169 books494 followersCynthia 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 17, 2016
Book the ninth in The Morland Dynasty seems to be a bit of a outlier in that there's no great single drama driving the story as with previous novels, no villainous vixen pushing her way to the front of the book. Instead, one could almost call this a "boring" novel in that it's a simply series of Morland family vignettes interspersed with British, European, and now, American history.
We have the main Morland branch, headed by Jemima, blissfully married to Allen MacAllen these twelve years (the book starts off in September, 1773), still struggling to reclaim the glory of Morland Place from the ravages and near-bankruptcy it was brought to by Jemima's first husband, Rupert, the 4th Earl of Chelmsford. Then there's Henri Marie FitzJames Stuart, the bastard offshoot from Annunciata's side of the family, the hidden-away son of Marie-Louise, brought up in France by Aliena as a way for her to absolve herself of her sins and in hope this particular branch of the family - with its terrible secrets - might die. And then we have Charles Morland, Jemima's cousin who crosses the Atlantic to settle in Maryland, wedding the indolent Creole beauty Eugenie-Francoise de Courcey and realizing that, perhaps, marrying for beauty alone is not the wisest of moves. In this way we are able to watch the biggest event of this period's history, the American Revolution, unfold from three separate viewpoints. Even more interesting, we American readers can see the Revolution from the British viewpoint, providing a curious and entirely new perspective on our history. From the French side of things, we are given not just the aftermath of their participation in the American Revolution, but the nascent beginnings of their own Republican upheaval to come, as the philosophies which began as idle pastimes in aristocratic salons filtered down to the bourgeoisie and proletariat, where they take root and flourish. With terrible consequences, as we soon find out.
One of the more enjoyable entries in the series, I found, simply because there was no harpy or virago stealing the spotlight and making the Morland's (and, by extension, the reader's) lives miserable. Jemima is almost disgustingly happy in her marriage, and while she's occasionally oblivious to her children and seems unable to connect with them at times, it's no different from the kind of crisis of parenting any parent, in any era, goes through. Parenting style aside, Jemima's strength, generosity, and character harks back to a much earlier matriarch of the family, Nanette Morland. Whether an accidental or a purposeful move by Harrod-Eagles, it's simply another way the thread of history runs through the Morland Dynasty.
We have the main Morland branch, headed by Jemima, blissfully married to Allen MacAllen these twelve years (the book starts off in September, 1773), still struggling to reclaim the glory of Morland Place from the ravages and near-bankruptcy it was brought to by Jemima's first husband, Rupert, the 4th Earl of Chelmsford. Then there's Henri Marie FitzJames Stuart, the bastard offshoot from Annunciata's side of the family, the hidden-away son of Marie-Louise, brought up in France by Aliena as a way for her to absolve herself of her sins and in hope this particular branch of the family - with its terrible secrets - might die. And then we have Charles Morland, Jemima's cousin who crosses the Atlantic to settle in Maryland, wedding the indolent Creole beauty Eugenie-Francoise de Courcey and realizing that, perhaps, marrying for beauty alone is not the wisest of moves. In this way we are able to watch the biggest event of this period's history, the American Revolution, unfold from three separate viewpoints. Even more interesting, we American readers can see the Revolution from the British viewpoint, providing a curious and entirely new perspective on our history. From the French side of things, we are given not just the aftermath of their participation in the American Revolution, but the nascent beginnings of their own Republican upheaval to come, as the philosophies which began as idle pastimes in aristocratic salons filtered down to the bourgeoisie and proletariat, where they take root and flourish. With terrible consequences, as we soon find out.
One of the more enjoyable entries in the series, I found, simply because there was no harpy or virago stealing the spotlight and making the Morland's (and, by extension, the reader's) lives miserable. Jemima is almost disgustingly happy in her marriage, and while she's occasionally oblivious to her children and seems unable to connect with them at times, it's no different from the kind of crisis of parenting any parent, in any era, goes through. Parenting style aside, Jemima's strength, generosity, and character harks back to a much earlier matriarch of the family, Nanette Morland. Whether an accidental or a purposeful move by Harrod-Eagles, it's simply another way the thread of history runs through the Morland Dynasty.
September 29, 2019
Nachdem am Ende des Vorgängerbandes die Zukunft von Morland Place auf dem Spiel stand, ist in diesem Band dort Ruhe eingekehrt. Allen und Jemima Morland sind der Mittelpunkt der Familie und nach vielen Ehejahren immer noch glücklich miteinander, auch wenn ihnen immer mal wieder eins der sieben Kinder Sorgen oder zumindest Kopfzerbrechen bereitet. Die Verbindung zum englischen Königshof ist nicht mehr ganz so eng wie früher, zumindest Jemima hält sich lieber in heimischen Gefilden auf als bei Hofe.
Cousin Charles Morland macht sich in den nordamerikanischen Kolonien auf die Suche nach Spuren des Familienzweiges, der lange Jahre vorher dorthin ausgewandert war, verliebt sich dort unsterblich und bleibt - was bedeutet, dass er als Brite im bald einsetzenden Unabhängigkeitskrieg einen schweren Stand hat. Und auch einer von Jemimas Söhnen wird als Seemann in die Auseinandersetzungen infolge der Boston Tea Party verwickelt.
Henri, unehelicher Nachkomme der legendären Annunciata Morland, geht derweil in den Salons der besten Pariser Gesellschaft ein und aus, während es im Volk brodelt und sich eine Revolution zusammenbraut.
Die große "Action" spielt sich in diesem Band der Morland-Reihe nicht wie meistens sonst in Großbritannien ab, sondern es geht viel mehr in den zukünftigen USA zur Sache, wobei sich hier mit der nautischen Karriere eines Morland-Sprosses ein ganz neuer Schauplatz auftut - was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, weil ich Seemannsabenteuer gerne mag und man bei einigen Seeschlachten hautnah dabei ist. Ich fand es auch sehr interessant, den amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg einmal aus der anderen, der englischen Perspektive zu erleben. Die meisten Schilderungen nehmen ja eher die US-Sicht ein.
Abgesehen davon gibt es in diesem Buch wenig großes Drama, dafür aber jede Menge pralles Familienleben mit all seinen Facetten. Schön fand ich auch, dass der Handlungsstrang um den ausgewanderten Familienzweig, den ich seit mehreren Bänden aufgegeben geglaubt hatte, hier wieder aufgenommen wird.
Faszinierend ist, wie es der Autorin in jedem der zahlreichen Bände von neuem gelingt, die zentralen Themen und die Grundstimmung der Serie beizubehalten und doch für jedes Buch und jede neue Leitfigur eine eigene Stimme und Atmosphäre zu finden. Allen und Jemima mochte ich sehr, weil die beiden zur Abwechslung mal eine gute Ehe führen und es wirklich herzerwärmend ist, wie die beiden miteinander umgehen. Ein gelungenes Porträt einer langjährigen Ehe voller Vertrautheit und Verständnis.
Obwohl, oder gerade weil, insgesamt weniger Dramatisches geschieht als in anderen Teilen der Reihe, war das bisher einer meiner Lieblingsbände.
Cousin Charles Morland macht sich in den nordamerikanischen Kolonien auf die Suche nach Spuren des Familienzweiges, der lange Jahre vorher dorthin ausgewandert war, verliebt sich dort unsterblich und bleibt - was bedeutet, dass er als Brite im bald einsetzenden Unabhängigkeitskrieg einen schweren Stand hat. Und auch einer von Jemimas Söhnen wird als Seemann in die Auseinandersetzungen infolge der Boston Tea Party verwickelt.
Henri, unehelicher Nachkomme der legendären Annunciata Morland, geht derweil in den Salons der besten Pariser Gesellschaft ein und aus, während es im Volk brodelt und sich eine Revolution zusammenbraut.
Die große "Action" spielt sich in diesem Band der Morland-Reihe nicht wie meistens sonst in Großbritannien ab, sondern es geht viel mehr in den zukünftigen USA zur Sache, wobei sich hier mit der nautischen Karriere eines Morland-Sprosses ein ganz neuer Schauplatz auftut - was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, weil ich Seemannsabenteuer gerne mag und man bei einigen Seeschlachten hautnah dabei ist. Ich fand es auch sehr interessant, den amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg einmal aus der anderen, der englischen Perspektive zu erleben. Die meisten Schilderungen nehmen ja eher die US-Sicht ein.
Abgesehen davon gibt es in diesem Buch wenig großes Drama, dafür aber jede Menge pralles Familienleben mit all seinen Facetten. Schön fand ich auch, dass der Handlungsstrang um den ausgewanderten Familienzweig, den ich seit mehreren Bänden aufgegeben geglaubt hatte, hier wieder aufgenommen wird.
Faszinierend ist, wie es der Autorin in jedem der zahlreichen Bände von neuem gelingt, die zentralen Themen und die Grundstimmung der Serie beizubehalten und doch für jedes Buch und jede neue Leitfigur eine eigene Stimme und Atmosphäre zu finden. Allen und Jemima mochte ich sehr, weil die beiden zur Abwechslung mal eine gute Ehe führen und es wirklich herzerwärmend ist, wie die beiden miteinander umgehen. Ein gelungenes Porträt einer langjährigen Ehe voller Vertrautheit und Verständnis.
Obwohl, oder gerade weil, insgesamt weniger Dramatisches geschieht als in anderen Teilen der Reihe, war das bisher einer meiner Lieblingsbände.
September 12, 2020
Fantastic series
I love this series so much, working through from book one I love getting to know her families and following them through the historical events
I love this series so much, working through from book one I love getting to know her families and following them through the historical events
January 13, 2018
I recommend beginning this series at the beginning, to understand the various ramification of the Morland family.
This book covers the years from 1773 through 1789, mostly focusing on Jemima Morland, her husband Allen (now Sir Allen), and their children, but also dealing with several other branches of the family. Cousin Charles, for example, has followed in his father's footsteps and become a botanist. While on a visit to the American colonies, he reconnects with a branch of the family that settled there several generations earlier. With the rumblings of revolution in the air he becomes concerned with their safety, especially the young and beautiful Eugenie. Meanwhile his young sister Flora is determined to marry their sailor cousin Thomas, despite Jemima's advice that she should wait. But with Thomas about to embark on a new ship, Flora refuses to wait. In addition, Jemima's young son William embarks on a naval career on Thomas' ship. In Paris, elderly Aliena's grandson Henri causes her much worry and heartache as she worries about his future, and wonders if she made the right choices in his upbringing. This is a fascinating depiction of a turbulent period, especially viewing the American Revolution from the English point of view (I am an American). Interesting, well-rounded characters and believable situations set against the historical backdrop make this a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
This book covers the years from 1773 through 1789, mostly focusing on Jemima Morland, her husband Allen (now Sir Allen), and their children, but also dealing with several other branches of the family. Cousin Charles, for example, has followed in his father's footsteps and become a botanist. While on a visit to the American colonies, he reconnects with a branch of the family that settled there several generations earlier. With the rumblings of revolution in the air he becomes concerned with their safety, especially the young and beautiful Eugenie. Meanwhile his young sister Flora is determined to marry their sailor cousin Thomas, despite Jemima's advice that she should wait. But with Thomas about to embark on a new ship, Flora refuses to wait. In addition, Jemima's young son William embarks on a naval career on Thomas' ship. In Paris, elderly Aliena's grandson Henri causes her much worry and heartache as she worries about his future, and wonders if she made the right choices in his upbringing. This is a fascinating depiction of a turbulent period, especially viewing the American Revolution from the English point of view (I am an American). Interesting, well-rounded characters and believable situations set against the historical backdrop make this a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
November 26, 2024
11/25/2024
May 17, 2025
I enjoyed this one much more than the last one. I expect that the next book in the series will pick up all the different story threads and tie them together. Looking forward to it.
January 10, 2017
Another enjoyable entry in a great historical epic.
April 12, 2016
This book started well, although, it was a bit confusing keeping up with all the different character. I guess it would of helped if I had read the earlier books first. My biggest frustration came when a quarter of the way through the book my favourite and by far the best character was killed off. It was hard going then for a long time to get any real connection with any other character. There were snippets of good writing in between bouts of boringly quoted factual history. The book jumped from continent to continent and although the character had some small connection it was frustrating to find that this was not wrapped up in the book. The book ended with the start of the French Revolution, with so many unresolved plots, that one cannot say that one was happy or that one wanted to endure yet another book of the same ilk. It was a shame as, I think the writer could have made this a better book, if she had decided which character or child's story she wanted to tell first and made this into several books. There was not enough insight into the different relationships thoughts and feelings. Instead these unspoken truths were suddenly thrust upon the Mother who came across a simpleton of what was obvious to everyone else. In my view point a Mother is the opposite, she is the one that sees everything and knows everything, so this made the story very false to me. It was a real shame as the other book I read by this author was good.
December 19, 2020
Just a quick warning for modern sensibilities re: slavery:
April 20, 2010
The history in the series is becoming more familiar to me -- this book involves war with the 13 colonies. Interesting to get the British perspective! Jemima Morland runs the estate in this book. She's tough and smart, but sensitive enough that its easy to empathize with her.
February 4, 2012
The thing I like about this series is that you know what to expect. A little bit of history with a lot of family drama thrown in. It was very cool to read about the Revolutionary War from the perspective of the British and see the beginnings of the French Revolution. Just a fun solid read.
April 7, 2017
Another great entry in the Morland Dynasty family series, this one covers the lives of Jemima and her husband Allan MacAllen through the beginning of the American Revolution and George III's madness, up until the French stormed the Bastille. This one has less family drama and more interesting anecdotes and characters than the previous ones. I think the fact that Annunciata has finally died off and is rarely mentioned is a good thing. We meet back up with the American branch of the Morlands, and the Stuart branch is doing better in France. I enjoyed it and will continue this series.
June 24, 2017
I loved getting the British perspective on the American Revolution. I liked that one story line centered on Charles, a Brit living in America married to a French woman. Jemima is one of my favorite characters so far.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews