#21: 1857-1865; covers the American Civil War

This installment of the Morland series takes the family from England to South Carolina—just as war is about to tear apart the United States. A foundling shows up at Benedict Morland’s door, and he takes the child to South Carolina, where his daughter Mary is a wife and mother on a large plantation. Back in England, Charlotte’s marriage to Oliver Fleetwood slowly crumbles over her friendship with a doctor, even as she becomes involved in the divorce reform bill.

This book takes a break from England, and I thought it was a welcome change from the usual. As the books in this series usually are, the events described are well-researched and give the reader a glimpse into what life was like in the 1850s and ‘60s. Mary’s marriage to Fenwick isn’t exactly a bed of roses, and it’s interesting to watch her friendship with Martial develop (though you can pretty much predict where it’s going to go!).

Mary is your typical Morland family woman (uncannily ahead of her time with regards to her education and opinions on the issue of slavery), but I enjoyed the interplay she has with Martial. I also enjoyed meeting members of the American branch of the Morlands, although they’re almost an exact copy of the English branch and the similarities are a bit too much at times. I would have also liked to have seen more of Charlotte in this story, and I was a little frustrated by how quickly her relationship with her husband deteriorated. After all, they had a seemingly happy marriage beforehand! I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to the family in the next book in the series as the series returns to England. ( )

Unlike previous novels in the Morland Dynasty series, which are set primarily in England, with a few forays into Europe, roughly half of this novel is set in the U.S., before and during the Civil War.

I was curious to see what Harrod-Eagles would do with the subject. I was impressed and delighted with her approach. The U.S. branch of the Morland family lives in South Carolina, so they fought for the Confederacy. They also were slave holders, and Harrod-Eagles handles that aspect of the story well. Given the tendency for the primary heroines of this series to be ahead of their time, the South Carolina Morland heroine does not approve of it, but she’s not in a position to do anything about it, so she must make her peace with it.

As always, Harrod-Eagles shines at her battle descriptions, especially when she gets right in the middle of it. The only battle that she goes into much detail about is the first Battle of Bull Run, and for the most part, I could follow the movements of the soldiers, despite the fact that I find troop movements almost hopelessly confusing.

Although the Civil War provides the dramatic core of the book, it is not the only event covered. In fact, it doesn’t even come into the story until over 200 pages in. The reform of the divorce law comes into play, and there is continued attention given to Charlotte’s work with the poor. I am a bit concerned that the Morland romances are starting to follow a predictable pattern. I do appreciate that by following courtships and the ensuing marriages over several years, readers get to experience the way relationships grow or fizzle out or take unexpected paths, but the emotional arc could show more variation. But even if they don’t, changing attitudes and situations are keeping the series fresh enough.

See my complete review at Shelf Love. ( )

This book takes on the American Civil War from the South's point of view. A good look at the military tactics and interesting characters. ( )