Elaine at Random Jottings has just posted about the demise of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Morland Dynasty series of historical novels. Not because Harrod-Eagles has decided to stop writing them, but because her publisher refuses to publish them anymore. The Morland Dynasty was one of the first series that I just could not get enough of. I read a lot of historical fiction in my teens. I think Jean Plaidy & Cynthia Harrod-Eagles inspired my love of English history & led me to read non-fiction history as well. Actually, the non-fiction has taken over from the fiction & I don’t read much historical fiction any more. But, without the Morlands, I may never have started on this journey. I agree with Elaine that the publishers, Little, Brown, need to get behind the series & jump on the history bandwagon that Philippa Gregory et al with all those headless women on book covers have made their own. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is a fantastic writer. I love her Bill Slider detective series (the latest, Fell Purpose, came out just before Christmas & is a terrific read), & if Little, Brown stick to their decision to drop the series, I hope another publisher will see the great potential in this series.
