In the enchanting second novel in Winston Graham’s beloved Poldark series, Demelza Carne, an impoverished miner’s daughter Ross Poldark rescued from a fairground brawl, now happily finds herself his wife. But the events of these turbulent years test their marriage and their love. As Ross launches into a bitter struggle for the right of the mining communities, Demelza’s efforts to adapt to the ways of the gentry (and her husband) place her in increasingly odd and embarrassing situations. When tragedy strikes and sows the seeds of an enduring rivalry between Ross and the powerful George Warleggan, will Demelza manage to bridge their differences before they destroy her and her husband’s chance at happiness?

Against the stunning backdrop of eighteenth century Cornwall, Demelza sweeps readers into one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Demelza (The Poldark Saga #2) by Winston Graham
Published 1946
Format: paperback; 432 pages
Classics/Historical Fiction/Romance
Also By This Author: Ross Poldark (The Poldark Saga #1), Jeremy Poldark (The Poldark Saga #3), Marnie, Cordelia
Goodreads | Amazon
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Thoughts:

It’s rare to enjoy a sequel more than the first book in a series, but as much as I loved Ross Poldark by Winston Graham, I was even more captivated by Demelza, the second part of the saga.

If you are familiar with the Poldark books or tv series, you probably love Demelza Carne/Poldark. How can anyone not love her? She has the classic rags-to-riches story and throughout the first two books in the series she quickly becomes the glue that binds the Poldark family together. Even the stauncher characters in the books lose their prejudice against Demelza’s lower class status when they meet her.

In Ross Poldark, Demelza first learns to become a servant, then Ross’s wife, then a lady of Nampara, and then a members of the extended Poldark family. In this second book we see even more of Demelza as she becomes a mother and an active member of the Cornwall community.

Demelza is a much darker novel than its predecessor. We see several feuds and tragedies unfold through Demelza’s eyes, the majority of which have detrimental consequences that remain unresolved at the end of the novel. Because Demelza has such a deep heart, reading this book through her point of view makes the story deeper and more emotional riveting.

“They are all sentimentalists at heart, the Poldarks.”

Read This Book If…

…you enjoy historical fiction.
…you’re interested in classics that revolve around technology (i.e. mining).
…you love paring books with film or tv adaptations (this is not the first–or last–time that I have raved about the current Poldark series).
…you’re looking for a book that will make you feel everything deeply.

“Everything at the moment, my dear, no doubt seem disgusting. I know the mood too well. But being in that mood, Ross, is like bing out in the frost. If we do not keep on the move we shall perish.”

Final Musings:

BBC recently wrapped up filming for the second season of Poldark, and since I don’t plan on reading the third book, Jeremy Poldark, until after the season ends, I have no ideaa what’s in store! Normally I would read the book first, but so far I’ve enjoyed seeing the perspectives of the show creators before I can compare their adaptation to the book.

Here’s a clip from season 2 of Poldark, which follows the plot events of Demelza. Currently the entire collection of aired episodes is available to watch on Amazon Prime. I kind of feel like rematching it after finishing this book :)