The Founding

By Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Book Overview

A reluctant union. A fractured kingdom. The birth of a dynasty.

Fans of Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory, and Sharon Kay Penman will be swept away by this richly detailed epic, filled with emotional depth, strong heroines, and unforgettable characters set against the real events of the Wars of the Roses.

In the tumult of 15th-century England, where noble houses war for the crown and loyalty is a dangerous gamble, one arranged marriage will forge a legacy that endures for generations.

The Founding, the unforgettable first novel in the Morland Dynasty series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, introduces a sweeping historical family saga where power, love, and survival collide.

1434, Yorkshire. Proud and sharp-witted Eleanor Courteney is devastated when she's forced to marry Robert Morland, the quiet son of a sheep-farming family. She longs for courtly romance--not the hearth of a provincial estate. But as civil war rises and allegiances shift, Eleanor must fight to shape her own destiny--and the future of a family that will span centuries.

Praise for The Founding:

"A writer of depth and style. The characterization and plotting are stunning." -- Bookfoolery & Babble

"Cynthia Harrod-Eagles makes the time period almost a character in the story. It was very prominent and very well researched. " -- Debbie's Book Bag

"A great new way to experience English history." -- Devourer of Books

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402238150
• ISBN13: 9781402238154
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Addicting

I discovered this series about one year ago and my local bookstore and after the first few chapters I was HOOKED. This series is so addicting to read. I am engrossed with every chapter and my curiosity and eagerness for the continuation of the story grows after I finish each book. I have been reading the series for the past year and I am now on book 24. I never want to put the books down. LOVE IT!

Excellent series

Having just finished the 31st book in this series and waiting patiently for 32 to be released in November, I can HIGHLY recommend these books to anyone how loves a good story and delights in reading for pure pleasure. How the author comes up with so many different plots and keeps the variety of characters fresh and interesting is amazing. Truly, start this series and you too won't be able to put them down!

Great book, and great read!

Well-drawn characters that you can keep track of, although there are many of them. I love historical fiction, and am so happy this series was recommended to me by a friend. I will be continuing with the whole 30 books!

British historical fiction series beginning with the Wars of the Roses ...

THE FOUNDING begins THE MORLAND DYNASTY series, which as of this writing consists of 29 titles. It opens during the Wars of the Roses with Henry VI at the helm and Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, struggling to gain power. Eleanor, a teen raised by the Beaufort's, leaves home to marry Robert Morland, a wealthy sheep farmer. The book covers the years 1434 to 1485; it ends shortly after what will come to be known as the Battle of Bosworth where Richard III dies. While the wars serve as a backdrop, the author weaves much of the history as we know it today into the story. The book also reveals a lot about the clothing industry during medieval times. The family's matriarch (Eleanor) takes it from a well-to-do sheep farm to wool merchandising to cloth manufacturing. After reading Sharon Kay Penman's THE SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR, I was skeptical about this book. I didn't think any other novelist could to the period justice. I was wrong. THE FOUNDING (originally published in 1980 before Penman's work) is a wonderful start to what should prove to be both an entertaining and educational series.

Morland Must

This is the first book in the Morland Dynasty series. It begins in 1434 with the marriage of Robert Morland, son of a Yorkshire woolmerchant, and Eleanor Courtney, a young Dorset maiden. It heralds the beginning of a great family. Under the craftful eye of Eleanor, the woolmerchant she maried soon becomes a very successful clothier. This series follows the Morland family from the War of the Roses to the present day. A MUST!

I have read all the 18 books and long for the 19th to come

I like to read history novels. I learn about old times and at the same time I read about love and hate. Pia Klockljun