The Founding

One of my favourite kinds of stories are those which follow a family through generations. The Morland Dynasty books had caught my eye more than once but I was slightly put off by the starting point (and I have to start at the beginning of a series) being set in the 1400s and around the Wars of the Roses, an era of history that I didn't know very much about and didn't think I was particularly interested in. I was wrong! Whether it was simply Harrod-Eagles' compelling writing that swayed me I don't know, but I loved every minute I spent reading The Founding and now have a thirst both for more knowledge about the era and the main players, and for more of the Morland family.

This book is where the now thirty-six-strong series of books begins show more as Robert Morland is betrothed to Eleanor Courtenay and the dynasty is born. Eleanor travels from Dorset to York to embark on her new life and soon she is the matriarch of a family whose status rises to the point where Kings and noblemen spend time at their home. I loved the setting in the north and the way in which the family's story intertwined with the royal families amidst battles through the reigns of Henry VI, Edwards IV and V, and the legendary Richard III (whose portrayal in this book I found perhaps a little unexpected given his reputation).

The family go through many trials and tribulations, much as you would expect from a time of pestilence and civil wars, but they remain united throughout under Eleanor's watchful eye. Rich detail, fascinating characters and intensive research made The Founding a brilliant read. I'm now very eager to read book two, The Dark Rose, and am excited for all the Morland books awaiting me. show less

My mother started reading Cynthia Harrod Eagles' Dynasty series when I was a baby, and owned nearly the full set of novels (but gave them away before I developed an interest). So personal history encourages me to take a deep breath and dive in, but the length and bredth of the full set - over thirty very large novels, covering the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries - is somewhat daunting!

The first instalment is Eleanor's story, and begins with her marriage into the Morland family. Offloaded to the highest bidder by her guardian, Edmund Beaufort, eighteen year old Eleanor is forced to leave the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset and migrate to deepest, darkest Yorkshire. Her intended, Robert Morland, is clumsy and awkward, but falls in love show more with Eleanor at first sight. She takes a little more persuading. The Morland farm outside York is neglected and lacking the feminine touch, but Eleanor soon sets the house, her husband and his grouchy father to rights, and makes the land her own. The novel follows the lives of Eleanor and Robert, their 9 children, 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren through fifty years of tumultuous history, and all the personal upheavals in between!

I really grew to love Eleanor, who is a strong matriarch as well as a beautiful woman. She runs rings around her devoted husband, though does eventually come to appreciate him, raises her family with a rod of iron (locking up one daughter until she agrees to marry a man she hates), and even has a hand in the political machinations of the country. Cynthia Harrod Eagles seamlessly combines story with history, explaining the tangled background to Richard, Duke of York and the War of the Roses with a personal touch - she managed to bring all those dusty dates and names to life for me! Two of Eleanor's sons die in battle with Richard of York, and a grandson meets his fate on the Battle of Bosworth Field with Richard the Third.

The family names can sometimes get a little confusing - there are 3 Edwards, 2 Eleanors, 2 Cecilies, and 2 Thomases - but a family tree is helpfully supplied at the front of the book (I only wish there was a similar guide to the Royal families of the time!)

A truly fascinating and engrossing read, for all the size of the book, and I cannot wait to read on - especially now that the later Morland Dynasty novels are available on Kindle! show less

This is the first book in a very long series (thirty-six books at this writing) that follows the fate of one Yorkshire family through British history. This book is set during the Wars of the Roses, and centers on Eleanor Morland, from the time of her marriage at 18 to Richard Morland. The patriarch of the family is a rather crude sheep man who has made his fortune and wants his son Richard to establish the family as people of substance. He makes an arrangement with Lord to whom he owes allegiance to marry off his son to Eleanor, a ward of sorts who has been raised with the Lord's family as a lady, but who has no dowry either in money or lands. The nobleman wants to ensure the Morland's financial support for any military actions he might show more take, and also is glad to find a situation for Eleanor, who though lovely to look at, is a tough sell with no dowry. Richard is thrilled from the get-go, but Eleanor takes a lot longer to be reconciled to her new situation. The story spans 50 years or so of the family's ups and downs, some heartening, some tragic. And it all takes place against the background of the Wars of the Roses, with the Morlands being stout Yorkists. It ends around the time of the fall of Richard III at Bosworth. (The character of Richard III is a matter of some controversy, and Ms. Harrod-Eagles is firmly in the camp of Richard being a good man and fine monarch who was smeared after his death by his usurpers who needed to polish up their own image.)

It's quite absorbing, and a good rollicking tale, though I had to pay very close attention to all the family members and their inter-marriages and children to keep track of who was who. (These folks had LOTS of children). I am tempted to keep going with the series, but it's quite an investment in time, so we shall see! show less

There are not many books that make me want to do nothing but sit and read from start to finish, but the story of the Morland family, and their place in the troubled times of England during the 15th century, had me totally absorbed. This is book one of the huge Morland Dynasty series, and I only hope that they continue to be as good as the first!

My Synopsis:

The Founding (Moreland Dynasty series - Book 1) by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

(For review from Sourcebooks)

15th century women were often betrothed from childhood or to men they hardly knew. Eleanor Courteney was no different when she was sent to marry a sheep-farmer from the North. Marriages were not based on love but on family alliances and what the new wife would be able to bring to the marriage. Eleanor marry's Robert Moreland, a commoner when her heart truly lies with Richard, the Duke of York.

Eleanor and Robert begin to build a dynasty as they fall into a kind of companionable partnership. Eleanor holds on to her love for the duke and even as her family expands she holds true to her allegiance. With the War of Roses as a show more backdrop, Moreland family faces many struggles of their own involving betrayal, disease, honor and even death. Will Eleanor be able to lead her family through this chaotic time period? Will her love for the Duke of York, blind her to devotion and love of her husband? Who will be heir to the Moreland dynasty? Who will be chosen the rightful King of England?

My Thoughts:

The Moreland Dynasty series covers expansive periods of history in over 30 volumes. It is one of the largest series I have personally ever heard of and I was really interested to see what made it so popular. The first book in the series, The Founding is over 500 pages and some might consider it a difficult read. However, I think this gave the author the ability to really define the characters of the book. It was very sweeping type of saga, similar to the expanse of a book like The Thornbirds. We are able to see the history as well as the family develop throughout several generations. Eleanor was a very strong woman who didn't always make the right decisions but yet she stood by those decisions and made the best of what happened. She may have seemed heartless at times, but based on the time period she was probably just very tied to the old ways and ran her family accordingly.

Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genre's and I felt that this book really epitomized my feelings about the genre. It is more than just a book set in a particular time period. These characters are a part of that time period. They are moving through it as history moves around them and that in my opinion is what makes Historical Fiction great. The author could just basically give bits and pieces of the history of the 15th century and then go on to tell the story and just leave the reader to take what they can from what they know of that time period, but in The Founding, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles makes the time period almost a character in the story. It was very prominent and very well researched. I loved the book and can't wait to see how the Moreland's fair during the Tudor period.

This one definitely gets 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag. Any reader who enjoy historical fiction or the time period of The War of the Roses will truly enjoy this book. show less

As a poor orphan, Eleanor Courteney figured that she was safe from marriage and would be spending the rest of her life with her friend Belle in the home of the earl of Somerset. Lord Edmund has bigger plans for her, though, and sends her off to be wed to Robert Morland, the son of a wealthy Yorkshire sheep farmer. At first deeply unhappy with her father-in-law and new husband, Eleanor soon starts to appreciate her husband and assert her own independence and influence over her household. When her father-in-law dies, Eleanor virtually takes his place as head of the family. This family witnesses the events of the close of the Hundred Years’ War, the Wars of the Roses, and Bosworth Field, always on the side of the Yorkists.

The Morland show more Dynasty is a huge, huge series of books that is still not finished. Each volume covers a bunch of years in the family’s life and I’m pretty sure they each have a separate story and don’t leave us with cliffhangers. Or so I hope! Anyway, as you all know, I’m a fifteenth century England nerd. I have pretty strong opinions on the history here. This book, for anyone who is interested, is really a romantic image of Yorkist England. I was particularly amused by the constant emphasis on Richard, duke of York as a soldier. Every noble was supposed to be a soldier. Obviously not everyone was inclined to enjoy martial pursuits but they were supposed to and made an effort to appear soldierly, except maybe Henry VI. This doesn’t make Richard special. Also, some outdated history; there’s no chance that the princes in the tower actually made it to Yorkshire, much less were killed by Henry VII. It’s tremendously unlikely that no one anywhere would have reported their existence in those two years. The author provided an author’s note in the front of the book with her bibliography list, so I do know just how outdated that history is - I have read every single one of the books in question! I give her a ton of credit for doing that research, though, and I don’t want to take that away. It’s just that a lot has changed in the past 30 years.

Okay, on to the book itself. The prose reminds me of books I used to read when I was a kid, which might make sense because it was written in the 80s. It has that idealized feel which makes me realize why everyone wants to live in the past. It’s just lovely in this book. Even though there are battles and people die in horrific ways, everyone moves on fairly quickly and continues with their happy, usually long lives. It’s a nice story, a saga through years of turmoil that still manages to make it all sound rosy. I don’t know how Harrod-Eagles manages that, but she certainly does. To be honest, I like it. It didn’t really bug me that the history was old because this doesn’t really feel like the Middle Ages I know; it’s an idealized period that never actually existed.

I liked the characters, too. Eleanor is a strong, independent woman. It’s also interesting to see how she goes from young, impressionable girl to strong, old-fashioned grandmother and head of the family. I like how the affection between her and her husband grows very slowly over time. I think it’s a nice example of what might actually happen in arranged marriages. There are, of course, bad examples of that in this book too, but the initial Morland marriage is the foundation of the entire dynasty.

I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series. Maybe this isn’t great, thoughtful reading, but I found it to be very enjoyable. I would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction in particular.

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The Founding is the first book in the Morland Dynasty series, a historical fiction series that covers one family's journey through English history. It opens with the marriage of Eleanor Courteney, an orphan from a noble family, to Robert Morland, a farmer from just outside York. By the end of the book, the Morlands have a grand house and a thriving cloth manufacturing business. They also have a record of faithful service to the York family, which they remained allied to throughout the Wars of the Roses.

The book covers the entire span of the Wars of the Roses and generally takes a sympathetic view toward the Yorkist side. Whether the history is accurate or not, I found the story of the Morland’s involvement in the Wars to be fairly show more engaging. At times, the story has a tendency to jump around, and my ignorance of the period left me confused as to what was happening, both in terms of the Morland family’s growth and in terms of the history. I understand that the original intention was for this series to cover 500 years in 12 books, which accounts for the overly fast pace. However, it seems that Harrod-Eagles herself has recognized the problem with the breakneck speed because the series is now at 30 books and has only just reached World War I.

The writing is fine; it does the job of telling the story clearly. The characters themselves are great—all of them seem to be a mix of good and bad, and they don’t seem to take on overly modern attitude in order to be palatable.

See my complete review at my blog. show less