What do you think?
Rate this book
Morland Dynasty #1
The Founding
This wonderful series opens with the back drop of the Wars of the Roses with the marriage between Eleanor Morland and a scion of the influential house of Beaufort. It is a union which establishes the powerful Morland dynasty and in the succeeding volumes of this rich tapestry of English life, we follow their fortunes through war and peace, political upheaval and social revolution, times of pestilence and periods of plenty, and through the vicissitudes which afflict every family - love and passion, envy and betrayal, birth and death, great fortune and miserable penury. The Morland Dynasty is entertainment of the most addictive kind.
515 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1980
274 people are currently reading
2804 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
168 books492 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
December 19, 2020
I swore I would not pick up this book to read, as there are just too many in the series (35 to date).
What was the point when I would never be able to read them all?
Yet..every time I was at the library, I would wander down the "H" section just to see if it was there.
So I decided why not?
Just the first one..probably wont like it..cant get into it..problem solved.
Well if you think like I did you'd be missing out on one great read.
This book has to have been the most enjoyable read I've had in a long time, and even if I don't conquer all the others "The Founding" will be a keeper for me.
The Founding begins with the marriage of the Heir Robert Morland, sheep farmer, to a dowry-poor ward Eleanor Courteney of influential Lord Edmund Beaufort.
Seeking power Robert's father Edward Morland (a right crusty fellow) arranges the marriage between his second and only living son to spirited Eleanor who is appalled at being forced to marry a mere "sheep farmer".
Eleanor has been seeing off and on a handsome young soldier..who just happens to be Richard Duke Of York.
At first I didn't care for Eleanor, I found her ungrateful (she was after all dower less) and was given to a wealthy young man and future.
She was mean to Robert (who falls in love with her at first sight) while holding a torch for someone she can never have.
She always seemed "snippy" but then if I was popping out babies every year I guess I would be too.
But as the story unfolds and we get to know this couple and are drawn into their lives, Eleanor not only grew on me, but I came to respect this independent woman and shared her joys and her sorrows.
I became totally entwined in this family and each member of it.
And as the years spanned out I felt like I became part of it.
Never once was I bored, because it moved at a pace that kept my interest.
And what apparently was a ill-matched union, these two very different people formed a surprising connection and there was some very special moments in the story that brought a hanky out.
But that same union will be tested by a bloody civil war, and divide them and also bring tragedy close to home.
The history of the War of the Roses is not one I have read much about, so here I was afraid I would get lost and confused on what was going on, and "who was who".
Yes there was a few times I had to flip back just to make sure I had the right person in place, but all in all what a great lesson for me of the history in this time period and the people involved.
I found this story to be a perfect balance of history, family saga, romance, neither of these at anytime over-shadowed the other and kept me drawn into this story from beginning to end all ..
539 pages!
I highly recommend this book even if you never read any of the others..don't miss out on this one.
Long after I closed the book these characters stayed with me,and I didn't want to say good-bye.
Now...I wonder if The Dark Rose book 2 is in the "H" section..cant hurt just to look..
What was the point when I would never be able to read them all?
Yet..every time I was at the library, I would wander down the "H" section just to see if it was there.
So I decided why not?
Just the first one..probably wont like it..cant get into it..problem solved.
Well if you think like I did you'd be missing out on one great read.
This book has to have been the most enjoyable read I've had in a long time, and even if I don't conquer all the others "The Founding" will be a keeper for me.
The Founding begins with the marriage of the Heir Robert Morland, sheep farmer, to a dowry-poor ward Eleanor Courteney of influential Lord Edmund Beaufort.
Seeking power Robert's father Edward Morland (a right crusty fellow) arranges the marriage between his second and only living son to spirited Eleanor who is appalled at being forced to marry a mere "sheep farmer".
Eleanor has been seeing off and on a handsome young soldier..who just happens to be Richard Duke Of York.
At first I didn't care for Eleanor, I found her ungrateful (she was after all dower less) and was given to a wealthy young man and future.
She was mean to Robert (who falls in love with her at first sight) while holding a torch for someone she can never have.
She always seemed "snippy" but then if I was popping out babies every year I guess I would be too.
But as the story unfolds and we get to know this couple and are drawn into their lives, Eleanor not only grew on me, but I came to respect this independent woman and shared her joys and her sorrows.
I became totally entwined in this family and each member of it.
And as the years spanned out I felt like I became part of it.
Never once was I bored, because it moved at a pace that kept my interest.
And what apparently was a ill-matched union, these two very different people formed a surprising connection and there was some very special moments in the story that brought a hanky out.
But that same union will be tested by a bloody civil war, and divide them and also bring tragedy close to home.
The history of the War of the Roses is not one I have read much about, so here I was afraid I would get lost and confused on what was going on, and "who was who".
Yes there was a few times I had to flip back just to make sure I had the right person in place, but all in all what a great lesson for me of the history in this time period and the people involved.
I found this story to be a perfect balance of history, family saga, romance, neither of these at anytime over-shadowed the other and kept me drawn into this story from beginning to end all ..
539 pages!
I highly recommend this book even if you never read any of the others..don't miss out on this one.
Long after I closed the book these characters stayed with me,and I didn't want to say good-bye.
Now...I wonder if The Dark Rose book 2 is in the "H" section..cant hurt just to look..
June 30, 2010
I was so disappointed! The characters and setting were amazing, and the historical aspects were interesting, but the story was terribly flat. I wanted to care what happened to the characters, but I just didn't. Where there should have been depth and emotion, there was "this happened, then this happened, then this happened." At times when the things "happening" should have been heart wrenching, I felt nothing! Star-crossed lovers, lost children, individuals robbed of choice, and I felt... nothing! Oh how I wish these characters had been done justice by the likes of Gerald Lund or Dean Hughes. Saddest of all, this is a 32 book series. If I had liked it, I would have been set.
March 30, 2010
From my blog...[return]The first in the Morland Dynasty Series, The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, is beautifully written with elaborate descriptions, and realistic characters making The Founding an intriguing novel to read, especially for those who are partial to historical fiction. The Founding takes place during the War of the Roses, which helps to explain the unusual match between Eleanor Courtney and Robert Morland. Unbeknownst to either Robert or Eleanor, living in different parts of England, their marriage was being arranged, which was not usual for this time period, to be true, however this most uneven match was a bit peculiar. Morland has a lot of land, sheep, and money, but no title or family save Robert, and Lord Edmund is in need of capital to fund the wars left over from Harry V's reign. Morland lacks family and wants his only son to become a gentleman. Lord Edmund needs the capital to continue to fund the wars. Robert and Eleanor are extreme polar opposites. Robert grew up as the only living son in a motherless house, being abused by his father and living in perpetual fear of him. Eleanor, an orphan, was raised as a ward of the Beauforts and taught in all manners of how to be a lady.[return]The marriage between Robert and Eleanor starts off poorly. He loves her dearly and at the same time fears her second only to his father. Eleanor is not at all pleased with her new life and is grateful she was able to bring three servants with her. They all live together in Micklelith House and in short order Eleanor is running the house and the operations of the farm with the help of the three servants who traveled with her. Jacques immediately took to task the kitchen and commanded respect from the Morland servants; Job took to the Yorkshire language quickly and became an invaluable translator for Eleanor while faithful Gaby provided Eleanor with unconditional love and support. As the War of the Roses wages on, Eleanor firmly takes the position of matriarch in the Morland family. Fortunately for the reader, the author provides a family tree in the beginning of the novel, since by the end of this first novel there are numerous characters. The Founding made for a delightful read and was a different look of this time period than other novels I have read. I do not want to give too much away in my review. I will say at times I admired Eleanor and at others I could barely tolerate her. In all fairness, I wavered in feelings for Robert as well and at times I pitied him and at others I wanted him to grow a spine. Regardless, together they form the beginning of what must be a fantastic dynasty, from wealthy land and sheep owners to clothing merchants, for I believe the author has now penned 32 additional novels in the Morland Dynasty Series. The Founding makes for a rather delightful read as well as an intriguing historical look into life during the middle years of the 1400s.
November 5, 2016
Written in the 1980s, I am kinder about the historical howlers - the same level of research was just not expected then. I am fond of Ms Harrod-Eagles' 'Bill Slider' series and figured she would not have written anything positively unreadable. On first showing, this series may be a comfy fill-in when I can't seem to find a book to cut my teeth on.
This is a routine family saga in its inception but an ambitious idea in that it has so far run to 35 volumes of that family saga, up to the 20th century world wars., which was meant to be the end of it but reviews of No 35 suggest the book contains hints of further volumes. I think it unlikely I will read them all unless the writing livens up considerably - not impossible, again with a nod to Bill Slider.
This is a routine family saga in its inception but an ambitious idea in that it has so far run to 35 volumes of that family saga, up to the 20th century world wars., which was meant to be the end of it but reviews of No 35 suggest the book contains hints of further volumes. I think it unlikely I will read them all unless the writing livens up considerably - not impossible, again with a nod to Bill Slider.
June 18, 2012
I read this book and the second one because the author had an interesting idea for a series: follow a family's lineage through history and note how events effect their family and fortunes. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this author's writing style, finding it to be shallow and predictable. Within the first few chapters, you know immediately who are the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' and what's going to happen next. The characters don't have plausible explanations for their actions; the bad guys do bad things because that's what bad guys do. Likewise for the good guys.
It was like reading something written by a teenager: good ideas but no depth, no insights in human nature or historical events. I would still love to see this concept written out but by a superior author.
It was like reading something written by a teenager: good ideas but no depth, no insights in human nature or historical events. I would still love to see this concept written out but by a superior author.
February 22, 2010
This is book one of an exhausting yet enjoyable series that begins during the Wars of the Roses. The heroine is a ward of the powerful Beaufort family with a secret passion for Richard, Duke of York (it is always a passion for Edward or Richard but never Edmund, for obvious reasons), yet is forced into an arranged marriage with Robert Morland.
February 23, 2015
This book was beyond just being a rousing disappointment, it was truly painful to finish. The Founding failed on so many levels. First, the writing was pedestrian. Second, the story was not only formulaic, it was boring. Extremely and fundamentally boring. I could not care a lick about any of these characters-and there are so many characters that it's impossible to remember them. It's laughable how many characters there are in this book. The worst part about this book though is the main character. I imagine the writer meant her to be likeable, even admirable, however she's nothing better than a horrible selfish shrew. Writers often think writing a strong woman means writing a hard cold tough woman. Heaven forbid a strong woman be sweet or kind. Eleanor Morland is actually one of the worst characters I've ever read. She's not the only flawed character though, this book is filled with them. In a book with so many characters it says a lot that I didn't like one. There was no emotional attachment to either character or story. How could there be when the writer sweeps past such events as a child's deaths in a few unfeeling words? Everything is handled this way, with an mind boggling lack of human emotion. I would go into all of the problems with this book and with this ridiculously awful main character except I want to be as done with this book as possible and move on. I have crossed the entire Morland Dynasty series off my to-read list. My recommendation: Don't Read this Book. Two very big thumbs down.
June 10, 2019
Did not finish ..
January 27, 2024
The saga of the Morland family begins in 1434 with the marriage of penniless gentlewoman Eleanor Courteney to Robert Morland, the son of a wealthy social-climbing sheep farmer. Eleanor, an orphan, has grown up in the south of England in the household of Lord Edmund Beaufort, and she is horrified at the marriage that she views as so much beneath her, and to a brutish northern man at that. While her father-in-law turns out to everything she dreaded: cruel; blustering, domineering, and unkempt, her husband Robert is quite different, a gentleman in everything but his ancestry, and he falls in love with Eleanor the instant he lays eyes on her. Eleanor disdains him, for she is in love with another, Richard, Duke of York. She met the duke when he visited Beaufort* (they were chums then), danced with him and loved him for the rest of her life.
Despite Robert’s inexpert love-making, he and Eleanor have a passel of kids and the novel follows them and their various storylines—not surprising as this is the first of 35 books. The overarching theme is the family’s loyalty to the House of York. First to the Duke of York and we see the couple’s son Thomas die at Wakefield alongside the Duke and another son dies at Towton. Their support for York continues through the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III, the latter of whom Eleanor believes to be the best of her love’s sons. Her grandson dies at his side at Bosworth.
It is not a bad book, and I found some of the storylines were more interesting than others—just I would watching a long-running soap opera. Eleanor was not very likeable and had more than a little of Scarlett O’Hara in her but without Scarlett’s charm. Although she eventually comes to appreciate and, she says even love her husband Robert, she dies thinking of her secret love—Richard, Duke of York. And this brings me to the reason I read this book. It was the only one I could find in the fiction library that featured the Duke of York. There are a lot that deal with his wife Cecily but not with Richard who is often portrayed as a boring mediocrity. I thought he would be more prominent in the story; however, here he and Eleanor have only three brief meetings. He dances with her at Beaufort’s place and she falls in love. He and Cecily stay at her and Robert’s estate in Yorkshire, and he and Eleanor meet in the hallway outside his bed chamber (in which Cecily sleeps) and start necking. The final time, he stays at her estate after Robert dies and they have a one-night stand. So I was disappointed in this aspect of the novel, but overall it was very pro-Yorkist so easy to digest. However, I have no interest in reading more novels in this saga.
*Eleanor and Robert keep referring to Edmund Beaufort as the king’s heir apparent. Never heard that before and isn’t it interesting that the Beauforts were not considered potential heirs to Henry VI prior to the birth of his son.
Despite Robert’s inexpert love-making, he and Eleanor have a passel of kids and the novel follows them and their various storylines—not surprising as this is the first of 35 books. The overarching theme is the family’s loyalty to the House of York. First to the Duke of York and we see the couple’s son Thomas die at Wakefield alongside the Duke and another son dies at Towton. Their support for York continues through the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III, the latter of whom Eleanor believes to be the best of her love’s sons. Her grandson dies at his side at Bosworth.
It is not a bad book, and I found some of the storylines were more interesting than others—just I would watching a long-running soap opera. Eleanor was not very likeable and had more than a little of Scarlett O’Hara in her but without Scarlett’s charm. Although she eventually comes to appreciate and, she says even love her husband Robert, she dies thinking of her secret love—Richard, Duke of York. And this brings me to the reason I read this book. It was the only one I could find in the fiction library that featured the Duke of York. There are a lot that deal with his wife Cecily but not with Richard who is often portrayed as a boring mediocrity. I thought he would be more prominent in the story; however, here he and Eleanor have only three brief meetings. He dances with her at Beaufort’s place and she falls in love. He and Cecily stay at her and Robert’s estate in Yorkshire, and he and Eleanor meet in the hallway outside his bed chamber (in which Cecily sleeps) and start necking. The final time, he stays at her estate after Robert dies and they have a one-night stand. So I was disappointed in this aspect of the novel, but overall it was very pro-Yorkist so easy to digest. However, I have no interest in reading more novels in this saga.
*Eleanor and Robert keep referring to Edmund Beaufort as the king’s heir apparent. Never heard that before and isn’t it interesting that the Beauforts were not considered potential heirs to Henry VI prior to the birth of his son.
April 28, 2010
The Founding, set in Yorkshire in the early 1400s, is the start of an engrossing historical saga. The Founding is the first in the Morland Dynasty series, and in it we meet Edward Morland, a wealthy sheep farmer, who pairs his only son with a well connected but orphaned Eleanor Courtney. Though Edward Morland is unpolished, he is ambitious and has a long view that holds him and his family in good stead. Though Eleanor never fully warms to her gruff and bullying father-in-law, he teaches her well and they, along with the gentle and industrious Robert, the three of them lay the foundation for one of the largest fortunes in England. Vast wealth is only one part of the Morland legacy.
Arguably, the Morland's greatest asset is Robert Morland's beautiful and spirited wife, Eleanor Courtney. Though Eleanor had initially resented being forced to marry into trade, she proved to be an astute businesswoman in her own right. Robert's steadiness and industry and Eleanor's ambition and connections gave the Morland family an edge which they used to go forward. The Founding takes us from the very start of the Morland's rise to their early ties to the House of York and to their place in King Richard III's court.
One of the longest and most successful family sagas, Morland Dynasty saga draws you in and you soon find yourself caring what happens to Robert, Eleanor, Job, and the other members of their extended family. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles weaves historical figures and events into the dramas, failures, and successes of the Morlands. Reading the first in the series, gave me much the same feeling that I had when I first discovered R.F. Delderfield's trilogy of the Swann family, but while Delderfield's series captured the Industrial Age in the UK, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles's is 34 volumes and spans five hundred years. The Founding is a fascinating read and I'm eager to dive into the next book in the series.
ISBN-10: 1402238150 - Paperback
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; Reissue edition (April 1, 2010), 560 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Arguably, the Morland's greatest asset is Robert Morland's beautiful and spirited wife, Eleanor Courtney. Though Eleanor had initially resented being forced to marry into trade, she proved to be an astute businesswoman in her own right. Robert's steadiness and industry and Eleanor's ambition and connections gave the Morland family an edge which they used to go forward. The Founding takes us from the very start of the Morland's rise to their early ties to the House of York and to their place in King Richard III's court.
One of the longest and most successful family sagas, Morland Dynasty saga draws you in and you soon find yourself caring what happens to Robert, Eleanor, Job, and the other members of their extended family. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles weaves historical figures and events into the dramas, failures, and successes of the Morlands. Reading the first in the series, gave me much the same feeling that I had when I first discovered R.F. Delderfield's trilogy of the Swann family, but while Delderfield's series captured the Industrial Age in the UK, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles's is 34 volumes and spans five hundred years. The Founding is a fascinating read and I'm eager to dive into the next book in the series.
ISBN-10: 1402238150 - Paperback
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; Reissue edition (April 1, 2010), 560 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
April 7, 2010
I've had the Morland series on my wish list for a while, so I jumped at the chance to start reading and reviewing the re-issues that Sourcebooks are putting out. I love books that chronicle many generations of a family, so to have an entire series with 30+ books dedicated to this concept is a dream for a geek like me!
Book one in the series, The Founding, isn't the start of the Morland family, but the start of its dynasty. Eleanor Courteney, ward of the Beaufort family, is set to marry Robert Morland, an arrangement that will supply the Morlands with the protection of the Beaufort name and the Beauforts with the Morland's money.
Eleanor is appalled to have to marry this sheep farmer, especially when she harbors a deep love for Richard, Duke of York. However, this union lays the groundwork for a great family dynasty. And the Morland family is thrown in to the midst of the War of the Roses. Eleanor's sons and grandsons find themselves in the middle of some of the most infamous battles.
I must admit, the medieval period is not something I'm greatly knowledgeable about, and the War of the Roses has always seemed too complex for me to ever fully understand, but The Founding has, believe it or not, helped me towards coming to understand this period in time. That's one of my favorite things about historical fiction: the good novels educate.
There are many characters to keep up with and, thankfully, there is a helpful family tree at the beginning of the book, which I used a lot. Since there were so many characters, I can't say I connected with a lot of them, really. Eleanor was the main character, the central figure, and I did like her, even though sometimes she wasn't all that endearing.
I can see myself becoming very enthralled with this series. There is no way I'm going to be able to not read the entire catalog. The Founding was extremely well written and is, so far, my favorite medieval set book.
Book one in the series, The Founding, isn't the start of the Morland family, but the start of its dynasty. Eleanor Courteney, ward of the Beaufort family, is set to marry Robert Morland, an arrangement that will supply the Morlands with the protection of the Beaufort name and the Beauforts with the Morland's money.
Eleanor is appalled to have to marry this sheep farmer, especially when she harbors a deep love for Richard, Duke of York. However, this union lays the groundwork for a great family dynasty. And the Morland family is thrown in to the midst of the War of the Roses. Eleanor's sons and grandsons find themselves in the middle of some of the most infamous battles.
I must admit, the medieval period is not something I'm greatly knowledgeable about, and the War of the Roses has always seemed too complex for me to ever fully understand, but The Founding has, believe it or not, helped me towards coming to understand this period in time. That's one of my favorite things about historical fiction: the good novels educate.
There are many characters to keep up with and, thankfully, there is a helpful family tree at the beginning of the book, which I used a lot. Since there were so many characters, I can't say I connected with a lot of them, really. Eleanor was the main character, the central figure, and I did like her, even though sometimes she wasn't all that endearing.
I can see myself becoming very enthralled with this series. There is no way I'm going to be able to not read the entire catalog. The Founding was extremely well written and is, so far, my favorite medieval set book.
April 3, 2020
I thought this was a perfectly fine bit of historical fiction, but nothing to write home about.
It follows a family through the War of the Roses and tells it from a very Yorkist perspective. But it doesn't hold a candle to The Sunne in Splendour. You're much better off reading that than this.
I think the main issue is that I never cared about any of the characters, they seemed flat and observed from afar. That made it hard to become invested in this family's saga. It's possible I'll continue the series, but equally possible that I don't.
It follows a family through the War of the Roses and tells it from a very Yorkist perspective. But it doesn't hold a candle to The Sunne in Splendour. You're much better off reading that than this.
I think the main issue is that I never cared about any of the characters, they seemed flat and observed from afar. That made it hard to become invested in this family's saga. It's possible I'll continue the series, but equally possible that I don't.
March 8, 2023
I picked this book because I’m a sucker for history and drama! But when I bought this, I was told there was 35 books in this series!
I felt it was to much, but this book hooked me! I thought I would just read this first book to just try but I have now bought the next book in this series!
I didn’t like Elinor at first, but she was the founder of Morland! And I got a enormous respect for her!
This is my kind of reading!
Not sure if I’m going to read all of them, but who knows!
I felt it was to much, but this book hooked me! I thought I would just read this first book to just try but I have now bought the next book in this series!
I didn’t like Elinor at first, but she was the founder of Morland! And I got a enormous respect for her!
This is my kind of reading!
Not sure if I’m going to read all of them, but who knows!
September 1, 2024
Love Cynthia Harrod Eagles!
On to the next book in The Moreland Dynasty series (generational family saga)!
On to the next book in The Moreland Dynasty series (generational family saga)!
January 24, 2021
Part I was decent, part II was "meh", and Part III was Exceedingly Awful. It was going to be 3-stars up until part III, because the plot was a little sort-of interesting, but by part III the story got completely derailed. In fact, there are 2 main issues that absolutely killed an otherwise fantastic premise for a multi-generational historical family saga:
1) Too many damn characters - because of this, none of them have any discernable personality at all. They are all interchangeable Lego people - you can take the pieces of one and stick them on another but it's still basically the same exact thing. I would not be able to pick a single one of them out of a lineup.
Eleanor and Isabella Morland are the exceptions - they are the only characters in the whole novel who can have more than one personality trait ascribed to them. And one of them literally has to beat the other one to a bloody pulp because of it. (Sorry, the Isabella plotline makes me extremely salty).
Also can we talk about Eleanor Morland for a hot second? She is kind of an Awful Person. This on its own is not necessarily a bad thing, if other characters actually recognized this. However, this is not the case. Literally EVERYONE worships her...every man is in love with her Because Reasons...every woman wants to be her...and also this woman magically manages to make it to the age of 60 without a single gray hair or wrinkles? Are we sure Jacquetta Woodville was the witch? Because we should be looking a lot closer at Eleanor I mean just saying. She is some how so magical that Richard of York kissed her once as a teenager and is still kind of in love with her 20+ years later. But Elizabeth Woodville is the one who bewitched her husband.
And not a single person stands up to this awful woman ever. Except Isabella. Who is . Just saying. Apparently that fate is the Just Desserts for anyone who stands up to Eleanor Morland.
Every Morland man is right, just, and honorable. Every Morland woman is a pretty, gentle helpmeet (again, except for Isabella, RIP, and Eleanor-Sue the ageless wunderkind). Lather, rinse, repeat over 4 generations. Big YAWN.
2) The history in this book is just downright awful. No, it being published in the 80's is not a defense for its awful history. Of course everyone has to take a side during the Wars of the Roses. Eleanor Morland is raised by Lancastrians in a Lancastrian household. However, at some point in time writers of historical fiction held a secret meeting and made a pact that they must ONLY write pro-Yorkist novels no matter what. (Seriously I don't think I've ever read WotR historical fiction from the Lancastrian side. The Lancastrians are just Always Awful). Because of this secret pact, Eleanor inexplicably becomes a Yorkist because Richard of York kissed her once when she was 16, despite the fact that he was engaged to another woman so you know, that basically makes him a good person. Because Eleanor is perfect and never wrong about anything, the entire Morland family must dedicate themselves to the Yorkist cause.
Because YORK = GOOD and LANCASTER = EVIL. Just like a Philippa Gregory novel, everyone attached to the Yorkist cause is pure and perfect and is only looking out for everyone's best interests. And the Lancastrians are greedy devils hell-bent on destroying society for the sheer pleasure of it. So to absolutely no one's surprise, Marguerite d'Anjou and Margaret Beaufort are right ol' bitches-and-a-half for forcing their menfolk to act against the saintly pure-of-heart Yorkists. They act for entirely selfish reasons and because they Just Hate the Yorks that much (?) It makes no sense to me either.
The only thing that initially shocked me about this novel was the vilification of Elizabeth Woodville and by extension Edward IV. It wasn't until later that I realized that Eleanor Morland is not exactly loyal to the Yorks, she is just loyal to human males named Richard. I mean, Richard the Duke who kissed her once as a teenager, Richard her son, and RIII are the only people she cares about. So then I wasn't shocked at the Elizabeth Woodville hate because Madame Woodville was RIII's enemy and so therefore, evil. (Apparently Elizabeth Woodville was the only person ever to see RIII for who he really was? Food for thought).
I'm going to post the rest of my long and heavily detailed historical rant in the spoiler so if you're uninterested in that you can stop here. But if you are as obsessed with medieval English history as I am, this rant might be for you
1) Too many damn characters - because of this, none of them have any discernable personality at all. They are all interchangeable Lego people - you can take the pieces of one and stick them on another but it's still basically the same exact thing. I would not be able to pick a single one of them out of a lineup.
Eleanor and Isabella Morland are the exceptions - they are the only characters in the whole novel who can have more than one personality trait ascribed to them. And one of them literally has to beat the other one to a bloody pulp because of it. (Sorry, the Isabella plotline makes me extremely salty).
Also can we talk about Eleanor Morland for a hot second? She is kind of an Awful Person. This on its own is not necessarily a bad thing, if other characters actually recognized this. However, this is not the case. Literally EVERYONE worships her...every man is in love with her Because Reasons...every woman wants to be her...and also this woman magically manages to make it to the age of 60 without a single gray hair or wrinkles? Are we sure Jacquetta Woodville was the witch? Because we should be looking a lot closer at Eleanor I mean just saying. She is some how so magical that Richard of York kissed her once as a teenager and is still kind of in love with her 20+ years later. But Elizabeth Woodville is the one who bewitched her husband.
And not a single person stands up to this awful woman ever. Except Isabella. Who is . Just saying. Apparently that fate is the Just Desserts for anyone who stands up to Eleanor Morland.
Every Morland man is right, just, and honorable. Every Morland woman is a pretty, gentle helpmeet (again, except for Isabella, RIP, and Eleanor-Sue the ageless wunderkind). Lather, rinse, repeat over 4 generations. Big YAWN.
2) The history in this book is just downright awful. No, it being published in the 80's is not a defense for its awful history. Of course everyone has to take a side during the Wars of the Roses. Eleanor Morland is raised by Lancastrians in a Lancastrian household. However, at some point in time writers of historical fiction held a secret meeting and made a pact that they must ONLY write pro-Yorkist novels no matter what. (Seriously I don't think I've ever read WotR historical fiction from the Lancastrian side. The Lancastrians are just Always Awful). Because of this secret pact, Eleanor inexplicably becomes a Yorkist because Richard of York kissed her once when she was 16, despite the fact that he was engaged to another woman so you know, that basically makes him a good person. Because Eleanor is perfect and never wrong about anything, the entire Morland family must dedicate themselves to the Yorkist cause.
Because YORK = GOOD and LANCASTER = EVIL. Just like a Philippa Gregory novel, everyone attached to the Yorkist cause is pure and perfect and is only looking out for everyone's best interests. And the Lancastrians are greedy devils hell-bent on destroying society for the sheer pleasure of it. So to absolutely no one's surprise, Marguerite d'Anjou and Margaret Beaufort are right ol' bitches-and-a-half for forcing their menfolk to act against the saintly pure-of-heart Yorkists. They act for entirely selfish reasons and because they Just Hate the Yorks that much (?) It makes no sense to me either.
The only thing that initially shocked me about this novel was the vilification of Elizabeth Woodville and by extension Edward IV. It wasn't until later that I realized that Eleanor Morland is not exactly loyal to the Yorks, she is just loyal to human males named Richard. I mean, Richard the Duke who kissed her once as a teenager, Richard her son, and RIII are the only people she cares about. So then I wasn't shocked at the Elizabeth Woodville hate because Madame Woodville was RIII's enemy and so therefore, evil. (Apparently Elizabeth Woodville was the only person ever to see RIII for who he really was? Food for thought).
I'm going to post the rest of my long and heavily detailed historical rant in the spoiler so if you're uninterested in that you can stop here. But if you are as obsessed with medieval English history as I am, this rant might be for you
January 8, 2024
I enjoy books set in the War-of-the-Roses era, esp when the monarchy are characters. This is the story of a wealthy merchant family set near York at that time. Their lives are touched by Richard of York, Edward IV and Richard III.
Some parts dragged, others -- the parts actually taken from history -- were exciting. So many family members/characters, all named Richard, Edward/Edmund/Ned, Cecily or Ann! I found myself frequently flipping back to the Morland family tree diagram to figure out "who is this?"
Some parts dragged, others -- the parts actually taken from history -- were exciting. So many family members/characters, all named Richard, Edward/Edmund/Ned, Cecily or Ann! I found myself frequently flipping back to the Morland family tree diagram to figure out "who is this?"
December 25, 2024
This was good. Long.
August 23, 2021
I was interested in this book because I have read all of the author's other series--the Bill Slider murder mysteries--and I admire them very much. They are well constructed, with entertaining characters, and are very funny. This is hardly funny at all, although there is some teasing and banter among the throng of children and grandchildren descended from the family matriarch, Eleanor Morland. She is a young girl in the opening pages, and a very old woman of 70 on the last. She builds her family, her legacy, and her wealth in the course of the book, marrying a wealthy sheep farmer whom she considers beneath her, and building his business beyond anything he could ever have imagined. She even, apparently, invented the vertical monopoly, gradually coming to control every step of the wool trade from the raising of sheep to the selling of finished cloth, eliminating every middle man. The love of her life was not her husband—it was Richard, Duke of York (not the one who would become Richard III, but his father). In fact, Richard III comes off very nobly in this version, the author being firmly on that side of the debate over his real character. Shakespeare was apparently nothing more than a propagandizing toady. I learned a great deal about every-day life in the 15th century, but there were a few anachronisms and the characters seemed very modern. The descriptions are vivid, and the battles (in which more than a few of Eleanor's sons and grandsons are killed) are clearer and more memorable than any I've ever seen in a movie. Still, I doubt that I'll be reading any more of these. There are now 35 of them, bringing the dynasty down to the 1930's and many of them longer than this one at 539 pages. Interesting as it was on every page, it didn't really have much narrative shape, having to keep track of what grew to be a very large cast. The family tree presented before chapter one (for which I am very grateful, and which was absolutely necessary) unfortunately also provided many spoilers, ruining much of the suspense.
March 13, 2010
This epic, brilliantly intricate series is like a family tree come to life with branches that stretch from the War of the Roses all the way to World War I. For me, to read it was to become absorbed not only in the characters of the family but in the character of England herself.
This is the kind of book that made me want to pick up my pen and start writing again and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt a little awe-struck by this series. I know people who are die-hard fans of her work but I just never 'got it' before now and I'm so glad to finally be a member of that club. I am really excited that Sourcebooks has taken the opportunity to publish her series from the beginning - I will definitely be reading along with the releases as they come.
One of the true credits to this book was the characterisation. Eleanor Morland, the fierce and resilient protagonist of The Founding, is both in equal parts a horror and a delight to read. It was not possible to always like or agree with her and at times she just seemed downright cruel (by today's standards) but at all times she was a formidable matriarch and a symbol of feminine strength. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles unveiled the light and shade of Eleanor's personality with such careful consideration that it's hard to believe she didn't really exist. This character lived and breathed on the page and I was engrossed with her story from early marriage to her eventual death - no one else could have possibly launched the Morland Dynasty series but the fiery Eleanor.
There are currently 32 + books in this series and even if that sounds daunting, I urge you to and pick up book one, The Founding. I hope that as I did, you find within its pages a story to captivate you and characters who will sweep you away to a world long past.
If you're a fan of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, I'd love to hear how many books you've read and which one was your favourite. Leave a comment :)
PS Talk about prolific! Did you know that Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has written over 72 books? Check out her website for more info.
Review by Annie
This is the kind of book that made me want to pick up my pen and start writing again and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt a little awe-struck by this series. I know people who are die-hard fans of her work but I just never 'got it' before now and I'm so glad to finally be a member of that club. I am really excited that Sourcebooks has taken the opportunity to publish her series from the beginning - I will definitely be reading along with the releases as they come.
One of the true credits to this book was the characterisation. Eleanor Morland, the fierce and resilient protagonist of The Founding, is both in equal parts a horror and a delight to read. It was not possible to always like or agree with her and at times she just seemed downright cruel (by today's standards) but at all times she was a formidable matriarch and a symbol of feminine strength. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles unveiled the light and shade of Eleanor's personality with such careful consideration that it's hard to believe she didn't really exist. This character lived and breathed on the page and I was engrossed with her story from early marriage to her eventual death - no one else could have possibly launched the Morland Dynasty series but the fiery Eleanor.
There are currently 32 + books in this series and even if that sounds daunting, I urge you to and pick up book one, The Founding. I hope that as I did, you find within its pages a story to captivate you and characters who will sweep you away to a world long past.
If you're a fan of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, I'd love to hear how many books you've read and which one was your favourite. Leave a comment :)
PS Talk about prolific! Did you know that Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has written over 72 books? Check out her website for more info.
Review by Annie
April 2, 2019
First in a LONG series following the fortunes of a family from the Wars of the Roses through to the twentieth century, and I'm very glad that they're now available in ebook format because that's a lot of content!
Eleanor, ward of Lord Edmund, is married to Edward Morland, the son of a prosperous sheep farmer, and that's the start of everything. The book follows Eleanor throughout her married life, from a new bride to a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, through politically turbulent times as her ambition drives the family from relative obscurity to the point where sons of the family are placed in the royal court and she is on familiar terms with the king (first Edward, then Richard - the family are staunch Yorkists). It's refreshing that Eleanor's determination and ambition are never treated as shameful or unwomanly, instead being honoured as the support of her family, although the narrative doesn't fail to acknowledge that she is far from perfect and maintains very firm control over her children's and grandchildren's marriages and lives.
I absolutely loved this series as a teenager - re-reading it now is highlighting how much my reading tastes have changed. The plot and history and politics rattle along at a fair old pace, with even more content than I'd expect for a decently long book, and all characters are definitely supporting cast to Eleanor. I'd prefer a little more time to get to know the characters as people, who they are individually, what drives them, what delights them, but with such a large cast and so much political turmoil to fit in, that's sidelined in favour of keeping history moving on.
Eleanor, ward of Lord Edmund, is married to Edward Morland, the son of a prosperous sheep farmer, and that's the start of everything. The book follows Eleanor throughout her married life, from a new bride to a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, through politically turbulent times as her ambition drives the family from relative obscurity to the point where sons of the family are placed in the royal court and she is on familiar terms with the king (first Edward, then Richard - the family are staunch Yorkists). It's refreshing that Eleanor's determination and ambition are never treated as shameful or unwomanly, instead being honoured as the support of her family, although the narrative doesn't fail to acknowledge that she is far from perfect and maintains very firm control over her children's and grandchildren's marriages and lives.
I absolutely loved this series as a teenager - re-reading it now is highlighting how much my reading tastes have changed. The plot and history and politics rattle along at a fair old pace, with even more content than I'd expect for a decently long book, and all characters are definitely supporting cast to Eleanor. I'd prefer a little more time to get to know the characters as people, who they are individually, what drives them, what delights them, but with such a large cast and so much political turmoil to fit in, that's sidelined in favour of keeping history moving on.
August 18, 2020
This is my third reading of this first book in a very lengthy series that follows the Morland family from the 15th century when they are increasingly wealthy sheep farmers in Yorkshire to the 20th century.
August 2020 - Fourth reading
August 2020 - Fourth reading
October 23, 2019
I called myself a fool for borrowing this book from the library - the first of over a series of 30 books!! - but I just could not resist it. I love family stories like this. John Jakes has written some wonderful ones that weave themselves through American history (the North and South trilogy, Charleston, etc), so when I learned of this series, I was thrilled.
I enjoyed meeting the strong, spirited Eleanor build and guide her family through the War of the Roses. Not without losses, of course, and seeing her so deeply grieve the House of York was touching (I admit it, I'm a Yorkist fan, even though I love the Tudors too). But overall, it was very enjoyable watching this strong, dedicated woman raise her family from "mere sheep farmers" into the ranks of the landed gentry.
I admit, it was a bit daunting to keep the characters straight, and I did have to refer back to the family tree that the author placed at the beginning of the book, but that in no way took away my enjoyment of the story.
A delightful look at the War of the Roses and the rise of the Tudors through the eyes of a family that still has far, far, very far to go.
I enjoyed meeting the strong, spirited Eleanor build and guide her family through the War of the Roses. Not without losses, of course, and seeing her so deeply grieve the House of York was touching (I admit it, I'm a Yorkist fan, even though I love the Tudors too). But overall, it was very enjoyable watching this strong, dedicated woman raise her family from "mere sheep farmers" into the ranks of the landed gentry.
I admit, it was a bit daunting to keep the characters straight, and I did have to refer back to the family tree that the author placed at the beginning of the book, but that in no way took away my enjoyment of the story.
A delightful look at the War of the Roses and the rise of the Tudors through the eyes of a family that still has far, far, very far to go.
January 13, 2015
Four stars is perhaps generous, but I like family sagas and I like historical fiction where history is actually the focus. This is book 1 of a now 34 book series intended to cover British history from the middle ages through WW2 through the eyes of a fictional family. The author says on her website (www.cynthiaharrodeagles.com) "I wanted to include...not just the kings, battles and Parliaments, but how people lived, what they wore and ate, how they gave birth and died, how they built their houses and related to their servants, how they travelled, what they believed in." Although the fictional setting of the Morland family is near York in England, the original Morland home in this book (Micklelith House) was based on Tretower Court in Wales. If I ever get back to Wales, this will be on my itinerary: http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/tre...
And, although there is not really a plot, and the characters are mostly pretty flat and one-dimensional, I immediately wanted to reread the book after finishing it. I don't know if that's because I wanted to continue to immerse myself in the time period details, or because of some vague sense of having missed something that would make the story more complete. I do wish the publisher had included the royal family genealogy tables along with the Morland family tree provided, but I suppose that can be found readily enough. The political background of The Founding includes the reign of Edward IV and Richard III, and yes, the famous Princes in the Tower. The main character, Eleanor (nee Courteney) is strong-willed and ambitious. She will put the family fortunes ahead of every other consideration, even at the cost of the lives and happiness of her own children. She is arrogant and selfish, but yet she does elicit some sympathy and even admiration. Oh! and of course I liked that her personal device was a white hare.
I would like to have seen a lot more development of the characters, maybe over three books instead of one. The harrowing story of Eleanor's daughter, Isabella, could have been a book in itself. Her strange son, Richard, and his wanderings could have been another fleshed out story. As it is, the book covers more than 50 years during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses. I will probably pick up the next book at some point to see how this fiercely Yorkist family survives the Tudors.
Series info:
Morland dynasty series
01. The founding - read
--------------------------
02. The dark rose
03. The princeling
04. The oak apple
05. The black pearl
06. The long shadow
07. The chevalier
08. The maiden
09. The flood tide
10. The tangled thread
11. The emperor
12. The victory
13. The regency
14. The campaigners
15. The reckoning
16. The devil's horse
17. The poison tree
18. The abyss
19. The hidden shore
20. The winter journey
21. The outcast
22. The mirage
23. The cause
24. The homecoming
25. The question
26. The dream kingdom
27. The restless sea
28. The white road
29. The burning roses
30. The measure of days
31. The foreign field
32. The fallen kings
33. The dancing years
34. The winding road
And, although there is not really a plot, and the characters are mostly pretty flat and one-dimensional, I immediately wanted to reread the book after finishing it. I don't know if that's because I wanted to continue to immerse myself in the time period details, or because of some vague sense of having missed something that would make the story more complete. I do wish the publisher had included the royal family genealogy tables along with the Morland family tree provided, but I suppose that can be found readily enough. The political background of The Founding includes the reign of Edward IV and Richard III, and yes, the famous Princes in the Tower. The main character, Eleanor (nee Courteney) is strong-willed and ambitious. She will put the family fortunes ahead of every other consideration, even at the cost of the lives and happiness of her own children. She is arrogant and selfish, but yet she does elicit some sympathy and even admiration. Oh! and of course I liked that her personal device was a white hare.
I would like to have seen a lot more development of the characters, maybe over three books instead of one. The harrowing story of Eleanor's daughter, Isabella, could have been a book in itself. Her strange son, Richard, and his wanderings could have been another fleshed out story. As it is, the book covers more than 50 years during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses. I will probably pick up the next book at some point to see how this fiercely Yorkist family survives the Tudors.
Series info:
Morland dynasty series
01. The founding - read
--------------------------
02. The dark rose
03. The princeling
04. The oak apple
05. The black pearl
06. The long shadow
07. The chevalier
08. The maiden
09. The flood tide
10. The tangled thread
11. The emperor
12. The victory
13. The regency
14. The campaigners
15. The reckoning
16. The devil's horse
17. The poison tree
18. The abyss
19. The hidden shore
20. The winter journey
21. The outcast
22. The mirage
23. The cause
24. The homecoming
25. The question
26. The dream kingdom
27. The restless sea
28. The white road
29. The burning roses
30. The measure of days
31. The foreign field
32. The fallen kings
33. The dancing years
34. The winding road
March 29, 2010
Eleanor Courteney is none too pleased when she hears that she is to be married to a local sheep farmer’s son. Given that Eleanor is an orphan with no dowry to speak of this match is actually better than a girl in her situation could’ve hoped for, but the young and feisty future matriarch of the Morland dynasty doesn’t see it that way. She is still secretly pining away for Edward, Duke of York with whom she fancies herself in love.
Robert Morland and Eleanor are as different as night and day. Meek and somewhat spineless, at least where his father is concerned, Robert can only stare in awe at his future wife so full of confidence and spunk. While Robert is immediately smitten with Eleanor, she is not impressed with this seeming wimp of a husband and horrified at her new surroundings of the Morland home. Ever pragmatic, Eleanor soon resigns herself to her new life and sets out to make this new home her own, despite the obstacles set in her way by her father in law, Edward, who has less manners than the sheep he raises.
Through the years and as they work together to build their dynasty, expand their family business and produce an abundance of children, Robert and Eleanor’s relationship deepens into one of mutual love and respect.
As for the historical setting, The Founding takes place during the time of the War of the Roses and the reign of Richard III into the usurpation of the crown by Henry Tudor. Eleanor’s previous connection with royalty and her status as a wealthy cloth merchant provides us with a glimpse into the politics of the day, via the key people themselves. Richard Platagenet, Duke of York and his wife Cecily, as well as, Richard III and Queen Anne make appearances and even life as a Yorkist soldier is experienced as we watch the Morland sons and grandsons fight for the cause.
Now, I know other reviewers have stated that they disliked Eleanor immensely and while I can most definitely see their reasons, I found myself liking her a lot. I don’t know if it’s maybe because she is so different from myself?! I have a tendency to be ruled by emotions and I’ve always admired people that are more in control of theirs. Yes, she does come off as a snob in the beginning of the novel, but she was raised by a noble family all her life and knows nothing else, so of course she’s going to be rankled by the thought of marrying someone that’s not in their circle.
Overall, I found The Founding to be an entertaining and engrossing read that contains two intriguing elements…family drama and history. My only issue was the sheer volume of kids and grandkids and great-grandkids can get confusing and overwhelming at times, but you eventually figure it out for me it didn’t take anything away from the story. I highly recommend The Founding and can’t wait to begin the 2nd book in the Morland Dynasty series, The Dark Rose.
Robert Morland and Eleanor are as different as night and day. Meek and somewhat spineless, at least where his father is concerned, Robert can only stare in awe at his future wife so full of confidence and spunk. While Robert is immediately smitten with Eleanor, she is not impressed with this seeming wimp of a husband and horrified at her new surroundings of the Morland home. Ever pragmatic, Eleanor soon resigns herself to her new life and sets out to make this new home her own, despite the obstacles set in her way by her father in law, Edward, who has less manners than the sheep he raises.
Through the years and as they work together to build their dynasty, expand their family business and produce an abundance of children, Robert and Eleanor’s relationship deepens into one of mutual love and respect.
As for the historical setting, The Founding takes place during the time of the War of the Roses and the reign of Richard III into the usurpation of the crown by Henry Tudor. Eleanor’s previous connection with royalty and her status as a wealthy cloth merchant provides us with a glimpse into the politics of the day, via the key people themselves. Richard Platagenet, Duke of York and his wife Cecily, as well as, Richard III and Queen Anne make appearances and even life as a Yorkist soldier is experienced as we watch the Morland sons and grandsons fight for the cause.
Now, I know other reviewers have stated that they disliked Eleanor immensely and while I can most definitely see their reasons, I found myself liking her a lot. I don’t know if it’s maybe because she is so different from myself?! I have a tendency to be ruled by emotions and I’ve always admired people that are more in control of theirs. Yes, she does come off as a snob in the beginning of the novel, but she was raised by a noble family all her life and knows nothing else, so of course she’s going to be rankled by the thought of marrying someone that’s not in their circle.
Overall, I found The Founding to be an entertaining and engrossing read that contains two intriguing elements…family drama and history. My only issue was the sheer volume of kids and grandkids and great-grandkids can get confusing and overwhelming at times, but you eventually figure it out for me it didn’t take anything away from the story. I highly recommend The Founding and can’t wait to begin the 2nd book in the Morland Dynasty series, The Dark Rose.
November 16, 2015
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles ‘Dynasty’ series was first published in 1980, and book number 35 is now available. Sourcebooks has gone back to the beginning and reprinted the first books and being a CHE fan, I jumped at the chance to re-read an old favourite
The story of The Founding opens during the Wars of the Roses. Eleanor Courtney is a scion of the noble house of Beaufort and companion to Belle, Lord Edmund’s wife. Eleanor has developed an infatuation for Richard, Duke of York and carries a missal he gave her always as her talisman. When Lord Edmund announces she is to be married to a wealthy Yorkshire farmer’s son, Eleanor is horrified.
After a formal betrothal, she travels in her husband-to-be’s entourage from beautiful Corfe Castle in the rolling green hills of Dorset, to the bleak and windswept Yorkshire moors and the functional, male dominated Moreland farmhouse which offers no hospitality to the distressed young bride.
Eleanor is not fazed, however and is determined to bring some feminine influence to her new home, despite an aggressive father-in-law who regards the only way to treat outspoken women is a regular beating.
Eleanor’s distress at her social distance from her first love, and her abhorrence for the boy-farmer, Robert Morland is palpable. Robert himself is a disappointment to his father, being poetic and not physically dominating. But he adores Eleanor from the first and she cannot help but be touched by his gift of a puppy from his favourite hound bitch.
The Founding is a masterpiece of research into life in Middle-Age England, with vivid descriptions of the clothes, food and hierarchy in grand houses in contrast to the way of life of the Yorkshire farming community. The story soon moves into the War of the Roses, and shows how every such conflict divides families.
It was CHE [and Jean Plaidy:] who first inspired me to write historical fiction, and I was intrigued to see if the style of writing would appear different from my first experience with the series. Her style includes a great deal of head hopping, passive voice and author intrusion no longer fashionable in modern writing. Most of the rules which editors will tell you are a bar to publication were there, including ‘her face paled’ when in the character’s PoV.
I can honestly say none of this spoiled the story for me in any way. In fact readers probably wouldn’t even notice, only aspiring authors who read ‘How To Write Books’. The Founding is still a compelling introduction to the Moreland family which makes me want to read the entire series again. I eagerly await the next one!
The story of The Founding opens during the Wars of the Roses. Eleanor Courtney is a scion of the noble house of Beaufort and companion to Belle, Lord Edmund’s wife. Eleanor has developed an infatuation for Richard, Duke of York and carries a missal he gave her always as her talisman. When Lord Edmund announces she is to be married to a wealthy Yorkshire farmer’s son, Eleanor is horrified.
After a formal betrothal, she travels in her husband-to-be’s entourage from beautiful Corfe Castle in the rolling green hills of Dorset, to the bleak and windswept Yorkshire moors and the functional, male dominated Moreland farmhouse which offers no hospitality to the distressed young bride.
Eleanor is not fazed, however and is determined to bring some feminine influence to her new home, despite an aggressive father-in-law who regards the only way to treat outspoken women is a regular beating.
Eleanor’s distress at her social distance from her first love, and her abhorrence for the boy-farmer, Robert Morland is palpable. Robert himself is a disappointment to his father, being poetic and not physically dominating. But he adores Eleanor from the first and she cannot help but be touched by his gift of a puppy from his favourite hound bitch.
The Founding is a masterpiece of research into life in Middle-Age England, with vivid descriptions of the clothes, food and hierarchy in grand houses in contrast to the way of life of the Yorkshire farming community. The story soon moves into the War of the Roses, and shows how every such conflict divides families.
It was CHE [and Jean Plaidy:] who first inspired me to write historical fiction, and I was intrigued to see if the style of writing would appear different from my first experience with the series. Her style includes a great deal of head hopping, passive voice and author intrusion no longer fashionable in modern writing. Most of the rules which editors will tell you are a bar to publication were there, including ‘her face paled’ when in the character’s PoV.
I can honestly say none of this spoiled the story for me in any way. In fact readers probably wouldn’t even notice, only aspiring authors who read ‘How To Write Books’. The Founding is still a compelling introduction to the Moreland family which makes me want to read the entire series again. I eagerly await the next one!
January 28, 2014
If you like Philippa Gregory, you'll love this. I read another writer's blog (Random Jottings - The End of a Dynasty?) recently lamenting that Cynthia Harrod Eagles' publishers had 'dropped' her because sales of her cult historical novels weren't as high as they would have liked. The blogger raved about the Morland Dynasty and the Kirov Saga (the latter set in Russia) and I was intrigued. Here was a writer with a long track record of rave-reviewed historical fiction and I'd never stumbled on her before. Why? Under-promotion, the blogger suggested - all the publisher's fault. So I hopped over to Amazon and downloaded the first of the Morland Dynasty saga - The Founding - set in the 15th century world of Richard III, Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret of Anjou and the Wars of the Roses - Lancaster and York.
I was immediately gripped by the central character - Eleanor Courtenay, impoverished ward of Lord Edmund Beaufort (grandson of John of Gaunt) - who is sold off in marriage to a wealthy Yorkshire sheep farmer and wool merchant who wants to trade his money for a bit of spit-and-polish and some aristocratic influence. The gently born and educated Eleanor is transported to a filthy northern farmhouse and bears four children in three years. Eleanor's courage and sheer bloody-mindedness win in the end, but the influential connection she brings with her also carries obligations that are not always comfortable. She and her husband find themselves caught up in the civil war and torn between allegiance to the Lancastrian Beauforts or to Richard of York. Eleanor's private loyalties prove costly.
It's been a very good read with accurate historical detail - a wonderful insight into the way women had to live - enduring superstition and prejudice and almost continual child-bearing. I also liked the way that Eleanor's character developed through the book as she aged and was changed by circumstance. I'm off now to down-load the next book, The Dark Rose, to follow the fortunes of Eleanor's grandchildren. There are 35 books altogether, bringing the family's fortunes up to the present day, so I expect to have to pick and choose a bit, but there are some readers who have read every one and are totally addicted!
I might also follow Random Jottings' suggestion and write to the the publishers to protest about their actions - it's time Readers started to make publishers aware of what they want.
I was immediately gripped by the central character - Eleanor Courtenay, impoverished ward of Lord Edmund Beaufort (grandson of John of Gaunt) - who is sold off in marriage to a wealthy Yorkshire sheep farmer and wool merchant who wants to trade his money for a bit of spit-and-polish and some aristocratic influence. The gently born and educated Eleanor is transported to a filthy northern farmhouse and bears four children in three years. Eleanor's courage and sheer bloody-mindedness win in the end, but the influential connection she brings with her also carries obligations that are not always comfortable. She and her husband find themselves caught up in the civil war and torn between allegiance to the Lancastrian Beauforts or to Richard of York. Eleanor's private loyalties prove costly.
It's been a very good read with accurate historical detail - a wonderful insight into the way women had to live - enduring superstition and prejudice and almost continual child-bearing. I also liked the way that Eleanor's character developed through the book as she aged and was changed by circumstance. I'm off now to down-load the next book, The Dark Rose, to follow the fortunes of Eleanor's grandchildren. There are 35 books altogether, bringing the family's fortunes up to the present day, so I expect to have to pick and choose a bit, but there are some readers who have read every one and are totally addicted!
I might also follow Random Jottings' suggestion and write to the the publishers to protest about their actions - it's time Readers started to make publishers aware of what they want.
January 26, 2009
Seeking power and prestige, grim, ambitious Yorkshireman Edward Morland arranges a marriage between his meek son Robert and spirited Eleanor, young ward of the influential Beaufort family. Eleanor is appalled at being forced to marry a mere ‘sheep farmer’; she is, besides, secretly in love with Richard, Duke of York. Yet in time this apparently ill-matched union becomes both passionate and tender, the foundation of the Morland ‘dynasty’, and sustains them through bloody civil war which so often divides families, sets neighbour against neighbour, and brings tragedy close to home.
I've heard so many times people rave about these books that I finally couldn't resist and bought the first one.
It is a superbly well written story, full of historical detail but I felt the people lacked a bit of charisma. The main character is a strong woman, so strong in fact that she comes across as cold and unfeeling at times. In a way I felt you could tell this is the beginning of a great saga which is reinforced by the fact that the main characters themselves mention they are starting a dynasty.
It begins with Eleanor's marriage to Robert Morland. A man she considers beneath her, and follows them through the birth of their many children, a rise in their fortunes, moving to a new house and entertaining illustrious guests as the Duke of York. Everything Eleanor Morland does is with goal of strengthening the power and the fortune of the family and there are times in which she doesn't hesitate to sacrifice her children. Her devotion to York leads the family to be involved in the politics of the day and to suffer during the Wars of the Roses and the downfall of Richard III.
I was a bit afraid in the beginning of starting a series that already has 30 titles but after reading this one I'm sure they will provide an interesting outlook on english history and I can't wait to start the next one.
Grade: B
I've heard so many times people rave about these books that I finally couldn't resist and bought the first one.
It is a superbly well written story, full of historical detail but I felt the people lacked a bit of charisma. The main character is a strong woman, so strong in fact that she comes across as cold and unfeeling at times. In a way I felt you could tell this is the beginning of a great saga which is reinforced by the fact that the main characters themselves mention they are starting a dynasty.
It begins with Eleanor's marriage to Robert Morland. A man she considers beneath her, and follows them through the birth of their many children, a rise in their fortunes, moving to a new house and entertaining illustrious guests as the Duke of York. Everything Eleanor Morland does is with goal of strengthening the power and the fortune of the family and there are times in which she doesn't hesitate to sacrifice her children. Her devotion to York leads the family to be involved in the politics of the day and to suffer during the Wars of the Roses and the downfall of Richard III.
I was a bit afraid in the beginning of starting a series that already has 30 titles but after reading this one I'm sure they will provide an interesting outlook on english history and I can't wait to start the next one.
Grade: B
May 8, 2010
I will start this review by stating that I love history. My AA is European history and then I went on in Art History. I have read a lot of historical novels and history books in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this first in the Morland Dynasty series and am looking forward to the second - which is sitting in my review pile - but it is a book steeped in history. And I think it helped to have a basic knowledge of the players at hand during the time.
Eleanor Courtnay is sent to marry young Robert Morland - the son of a rich sheep farmer she feels is beneath her. She is deeply in love with the Duke of York but she is not of his class and will never be a suitable bride for him. But she is still young and thinks love will counquer all.
Sadly, she learns otherwise as she heads off to her new life. She is a strong woman and soon adapts to and thrives in her new household. Her father in law is a brute - there is no other word. Robert, though has some gentlemanly ways. Together Eleanor and Robert create a strong family. A rich family that ultimately support the Yorkists.
Eleanor for all her strength comes off as very unlikeable and that is a shame. There are also hops in time that you only pick up through casual mentions in text. Suddenly a child that was just born is now 4 or 5 years old without any segue. But I was enthralled with the story and wanted to keep reading.
The fictional Morlands were placed within actual events to good use and there are 34 books in the series. That's a lot of Morlands! I hope I get to read them all...
There is a lot of history as I mentioned and this is a truly confusing period in England's past so the book is to be read with thought but it is a good read for any lover of good historical fiction.
Eleanor Courtnay is sent to marry young Robert Morland - the son of a rich sheep farmer she feels is beneath her. She is deeply in love with the Duke of York but she is not of his class and will never be a suitable bride for him. But she is still young and thinks love will counquer all.
Sadly, she learns otherwise as she heads off to her new life. She is a strong woman and soon adapts to and thrives in her new household. Her father in law is a brute - there is no other word. Robert, though has some gentlemanly ways. Together Eleanor and Robert create a strong family. A rich family that ultimately support the Yorkists.
Eleanor for all her strength comes off as very unlikeable and that is a shame. There are also hops in time that you only pick up through casual mentions in text. Suddenly a child that was just born is now 4 or 5 years old without any segue. But I was enthralled with the story and wanted to keep reading.
The fictional Morlands were placed within actual events to good use and there are 34 books in the series. That's a lot of Morlands! I hope I get to read them all...
There is a lot of history as I mentioned and this is a truly confusing period in England's past so the book is to be read with thought but it is a good read for any lover of good historical fiction.
June 6, 2022
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
"The Founding" is book 1 in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles "Morland Dynasty" series. Set in fifteenth century northern England, the Morland family witnesses the turbulent years of the War of the Roses.
Let me get this out of the way: this series at the moment consists of 35 books. I did not know that when I purchased the first three books. Though I did enjoy this first book, and anticipate enjoying the next two, I don't really intend on continuing with the series unfortunately. That's a lot of books, when I already have quite a number of unread books lying around on my shelves as it is. Now, who knows, that could change. Maybe years from now I'll feel differently, but for the time being, these first three books will be it for me.
What intrigued me about this series is the whole idea of following a family through the centuries. Seeing what they witness. Seeing how their family grows and develops. Seeing them go through major historical events and how that effects them. That concept certainly appealed to me (which definitely makes it harder to stop at these first three).
Starting with the positives. I really liked Cynthia Harrod-Eagles writing. When I saw the publication date as 1980, that had me a wee bit concerned. I was worried the writing would feel dated and boring. Never at any point do I think this book was boring. If anything, it was constantly moving, and the decades were rapidly moving. I also felt like this book came across as tradition historical fiction. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles clearly did her research, and you could tell on every page. Great attention to fine historical detail, especially for this period during the War of the Roses which is incredibly complex.
Now, for some of the negatives, as I just mentioned, the War of the Roses is a very complex period of English history. I am very familiar and rather well versed when it comes to this time period, so many of the events and people were familiar to me already. I couldn't help but pity someone coming into this book with minimal knowledge of the War of the Roses. At times, it felt like Cynthia Harrod-Eagles expected the reader to be aware of events and people, and oftentimes, events and people weren't gone into at any great length. I feel like a newbie to the War of the Roses would get lost and confused within the narrative of this book and lose track of who is who. I don't think I could recommend this book to a casual historical fiction reader. I found the narrative of this particular book to be rather extensive and for the more diehard historical fiction reader when it comes to this era. As for another slight negative, this book has a massive amount of characters, and not just historical figures. The Morland family themselves is huge. It's important to realize that this book is covering several decades. Meaning, you have the initial main characters, but then they have children, and then those children have children, and then there's even another generation that starts after that. That's a huge family tree to wrap your head around. It can get a bit overwhelming at times, and some characters share names, and you really have to connect the dots on how everyone is related---like who is the mother of this character, or the cousin of that character, etc. Fortunately, this book does have a family tree at the start of the novel, which I wish I had utilized more often. As for my last negative, since this book does cover several decades, you unfortunately never really learn about some characters at great length. Other than the main character Eleanor, many of the characters are rather one dimensional. Eleanor pops out an ungodly amount of children in a rapid span of pages. Then all of a sudden, many of those children are teenagers and adults and start producing more children and you never get to entirely know characters before new ones are introduced. There is a small handful of characters that get more page time and more development, but it still may not be entirely satisfactory for some readers looking for more in-depth character exploration.
Speaking of characters, despite the lack of in-depth character exploration, I still liked the characters. Eleanor is your main character for the most part. We are introduced to her as a young woman (not quite in her twenties if I'm remembering correctly) who is being forced into marriage into the Morland family. Eleanor secretly loves Richard of York (father of the future King Edward IV and King Richard III). She doesn't love her new husband, but learns to deal with it and manage and pushes her feelings for Richard of York to the side as she starts growing her family and starts liking her husband. Eleanor certainly has the most development over the course of the novel. She has her political beliefs. She has her beliefs on how a woman should care for her family. She has her beliefs on family honor and family duty. Eleanor has her moments where she's not very likable as she starts marrying her children off to people who are advantageous to the Morland family, whether her children like it or not. Eleanor isn't a perfect character, but Cynthia Harrod-Eagles does a remarkable job keeping Eleanor rooted firmly in the time period she's born into where certain things matter more than others. Eleanor definitely comes across as a typical woman of the era, but still has strong feelings and opinions, and at the end of the day, is the matriarch of the family and has last say in all issues. That makes her one of the most powerful characters to be reckoned with. I can't go through every character because there's too many, but just to give a shoutout to some of my personal faves: Job (Eleanor's page who is with her from start to finish of this book when everyone else is dying all around her. They have one of the most wonderful platonic relationships); Isabella (Eleanor's spunk, wild third-born daughter who has some of the most intense, upsetting chapters); Ned and Thom (Eleanor's rambunctious, silly grandsons). I like many of the characters, but these in particular really stood out.
Overall, if you enjoy complex, family drama, historical fiction, you'll most likely enjoy this. Very well researched and well written. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is very pro-Richard III, and very anti-Tudor if that's a consideration for you. I enjoyed her depiction of Richard III in particular. Just know that this series is 35 books and you need to think long and hard about that before you invest time. At the same time though, it doesn't hurt to check out these first couple books to see if you'll like it.
"The Founding" is book 1 in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles "Morland Dynasty" series. Set in fifteenth century northern England, the Morland family witnesses the turbulent years of the War of the Roses.
Let me get this out of the way: this series at the moment consists of 35 books. I did not know that when I purchased the first three books. Though I did enjoy this first book, and anticipate enjoying the next two, I don't really intend on continuing with the series unfortunately. That's a lot of books, when I already have quite a number of unread books lying around on my shelves as it is. Now, who knows, that could change. Maybe years from now I'll feel differently, but for the time being, these first three books will be it for me.
What intrigued me about this series is the whole idea of following a family through the centuries. Seeing what they witness. Seeing how their family grows and develops. Seeing them go through major historical events and how that effects them. That concept certainly appealed to me (which definitely makes it harder to stop at these first three).
Starting with the positives. I really liked Cynthia Harrod-Eagles writing. When I saw the publication date as 1980, that had me a wee bit concerned. I was worried the writing would feel dated and boring. Never at any point do I think this book was boring. If anything, it was constantly moving, and the decades were rapidly moving. I also felt like this book came across as tradition historical fiction. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles clearly did her research, and you could tell on every page. Great attention to fine historical detail, especially for this period during the War of the Roses which is incredibly complex.
Now, for some of the negatives, as I just mentioned, the War of the Roses is a very complex period of English history. I am very familiar and rather well versed when it comes to this time period, so many of the events and people were familiar to me already. I couldn't help but pity someone coming into this book with minimal knowledge of the War of the Roses. At times, it felt like Cynthia Harrod-Eagles expected the reader to be aware of events and people, and oftentimes, events and people weren't gone into at any great length. I feel like a newbie to the War of the Roses would get lost and confused within the narrative of this book and lose track of who is who. I don't think I could recommend this book to a casual historical fiction reader. I found the narrative of this particular book to be rather extensive and for the more diehard historical fiction reader when it comes to this era. As for another slight negative, this book has a massive amount of characters, and not just historical figures. The Morland family themselves is huge. It's important to realize that this book is covering several decades. Meaning, you have the initial main characters, but then they have children, and then those children have children, and then there's even another generation that starts after that. That's a huge family tree to wrap your head around. It can get a bit overwhelming at times, and some characters share names, and you really have to connect the dots on how everyone is related---like who is the mother of this character, or the cousin of that character, etc. Fortunately, this book does have a family tree at the start of the novel, which I wish I had utilized more often. As for my last negative, since this book does cover several decades, you unfortunately never really learn about some characters at great length. Other than the main character Eleanor, many of the characters are rather one dimensional. Eleanor pops out an ungodly amount of children in a rapid span of pages. Then all of a sudden, many of those children are teenagers and adults and start producing more children and you never get to entirely know characters before new ones are introduced. There is a small handful of characters that get more page time and more development, but it still may not be entirely satisfactory for some readers looking for more in-depth character exploration.
Speaking of characters, despite the lack of in-depth character exploration, I still liked the characters. Eleanor is your main character for the most part. We are introduced to her as a young woman (not quite in her twenties if I'm remembering correctly) who is being forced into marriage into the Morland family. Eleanor secretly loves Richard of York (father of the future King Edward IV and King Richard III). She doesn't love her new husband, but learns to deal with it and manage and pushes her feelings for Richard of York to the side as she starts growing her family and starts liking her husband. Eleanor certainly has the most development over the course of the novel. She has her political beliefs. She has her beliefs on how a woman should care for her family. She has her beliefs on family honor and family duty. Eleanor has her moments where she's not very likable as she starts marrying her children off to people who are advantageous to the Morland family, whether her children like it or not. Eleanor isn't a perfect character, but Cynthia Harrod-Eagles does a remarkable job keeping Eleanor rooted firmly in the time period she's born into where certain things matter more than others. Eleanor definitely comes across as a typical woman of the era, but still has strong feelings and opinions, and at the end of the day, is the matriarch of the family and has last say in all issues. That makes her one of the most powerful characters to be reckoned with. I can't go through every character because there's too many, but just to give a shoutout to some of my personal faves: Job (Eleanor's page who is with her from start to finish of this book when everyone else is dying all around her. They have one of the most wonderful platonic relationships); Isabella (Eleanor's spunk, wild third-born daughter who has some of the most intense, upsetting chapters); Ned and Thom (Eleanor's rambunctious, silly grandsons). I like many of the characters, but these in particular really stood out.
Overall, if you enjoy complex, family drama, historical fiction, you'll most likely enjoy this. Very well researched and well written. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is very pro-Richard III, and very anti-Tudor if that's a consideration for you. I enjoyed her depiction of Richard III in particular. Just know that this series is 35 books and you need to think long and hard about that before you invest time. At the same time though, it doesn't hurt to check out these first couple books to see if you'll like it.
February 2, 2017
This book was a disappointment. It covers more than 50 years and several generations of a large family; I really like complex family sagas, but the author didn't deal very well with the problems that can crop up in stories like that. It was hard to keep track of everyone or make emotional connections with individual characters because there were so many of them.
Furthermore, the book was carelessly written (there was a lot of repetitive and unimaginative language, for example). At one point toward the end, a son of the story's matriarch calls her "Grandmother," for example. It was like the author didn't even care all that much about her own characters and was pushing cardboard people around. The book is set in the 15th century, which is one reason I was interested in it. However, many of the historical figures and background are sort of tossed in there without much explanation. (I got out my book on the Wars of the Roses from time to time so I could figure out who was who.)
One thing the book did have was a fairly good sense of place. I got a little tired of hearing about the colors of everyone's clothes, but I did sort of enjoy the banquets and the descriptions of the countryside and the town. And the book somehow held me for more than 500 pages. Maybe today's news is so bad that escaping to another time and place was a tolerable alternative even though the person piloting the escape pod did a sloppy job of it.
Furthermore, the book was carelessly written (there was a lot of repetitive and unimaginative language, for example). At one point toward the end, a son of the story's matriarch calls her "Grandmother," for example. It was like the author didn't even care all that much about her own characters and was pushing cardboard people around. The book is set in the 15th century, which is one reason I was interested in it. However, many of the historical figures and background are sort of tossed in there without much explanation. (I got out my book on the Wars of the Roses from time to time so I could figure out who was who.)
One thing the book did have was a fairly good sense of place. I got a little tired of hearing about the colors of everyone's clothes, but I did sort of enjoy the banquets and the descriptions of the countryside and the town. And the book somehow held me for more than 500 pages. Maybe today's news is so bad that escaping to another time and place was a tolerable alternative even though the person piloting the escape pod did a sloppy job of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews