Book 7 in the Poldark Saga and where do I begin. Well......Morwenna becomes a widow after her brother in law sees Ossie and his wife in bed. Ross is still undecided on whether he wife is really his wife and finds dissatisfaction in many parts of his life. He spends his time between London parliament and Cornwall. Drake, encouraged by his sister proposes to Rosina Hoblyn but does tell her about his lost love Morwenna and that there is little of his heart to give. On the day he finds out that Ossie is dead it is the day before his wedding so he goes to see Rosina to tell her. He goes to find Morwenna and is turned away multiple time. In the end he returns home only to discover that his buildings have been burnt down.He spends a few months living back with his brother until Ross convinces him to return to the forge to rebuild his business with a view to selling.Meantime Cary Warleggan causes the deliberate collapse of Pascoe's bank by spreading rumours and dropping letters. Demelza hears of this and tries to prevent the collapse by depositing money but it fails. One wet afternoon Drake sees a tall thin man walking towards his forge, it is not long before he recognises the person and realises Morwenna has come to see him. His joy is overshadowed when in tears she explains that she cannot abide being touched and that she was raped repeatedly and doesn't think she will ever get over the memories. Drake meanwhile talks her into marrying him in name only until she is ready for more on the understanding she may never be ready. He enlists his sister's help in riding to see the bishop to obtain a special license to marry.Elizabeth who is pregnant and again at odds with George because of Geofrey Charles saying in all innocence "Valentine looks just like uncle Ross!" Without George's knowledge Elizabeth procured a tincture in London to assist with her idea of producing yet another premature child. When arguing later with George she finally finds out it was aunt Agatha who sowed the seeds of doubt and only did this because he prevented her from having her 100 birthday party.It's December 1799, Elizabeth has taken the tincture and George finds her in a faint on her bedroom floor. It is son obvious she is in labour and George sends for Dr Behenna who is miles away and then agrees for Dr Enys to attend. He arrives and delivers a baby girl they name Ursula. On Dr Behenna's arrival he and Dwight discover that Elizabeth is now seriously ill. He smelt something in her bedroom the first time he entered. She denies taking anything as George is present and finally dies. Both doctors decide nothing can be done and agree to silence.When Ross hears that Elizabeth is ill he speaks to Demelza who agrees he should go but to promise no arguments. George is not happy to see Ross and shouts that Elizabeth is dead and is he happy now. Ross runs up to the same bedroom he went once before and the stench of decay when he opens the bedroom door makes he gag. He places a single kiss on her lips that feel like unworked clay and runs from the room.The book closes with him after spending the night walking the Cornish coast he finds Demelza still in her armchair. She suggests he sleeps but he wants to talk. He agrees that when someone you love dies it hurts. He has also realised there will come a time when he won't hear Demelza's voice and he doesn't want this.
Having read the first two books in this series as a revisit to Winston Graham- I have skipped to #7. For a reason. It's because I have remembered all the intervening events and progressions from my 1975 Poldark BBC experience. After trying to read #5 and #6- I knew this was the one in which I wanted to read the peaks of crisis and reveals that I had experienced in the series drama. Forty years is a big gap of time. But this one brought to mind the absolute, for me, crux of that entire 1975 series. The ending of this book was the ending of that first series. It's a long book, and it centers on 4 or 5 other characters, especially Demelza's youngest brothers. It also holds the progressions to Ross's first winning elections for the district seat and Demelza's first London experience.This brings me to the point of not knowing what comes next. So I'll definitely read #8 next. In print they bring Cornwall to life. The damp and sandy air! But I do think that the melodramatic language between our various lovers or haters does get heavily into soap opera territory in this particular selection. Some of the bad in this one are VERY bad, horrific. And they can sound like villains out of Batman or Superman comics. Only in proper English accents and manners. This, time wise, brings us past the Admiral's vanquishing of Napoleon's fleet after his Egyptian foray and to the end of French conquest being in sight. I particularly enjoyed the women's gossiping and songs about the consistently changing fashions in gowns. And how the waist had risen to be under the bust and the fallout of having to change an entire wardrobe. At the end of this book, I liked George much, much more than in the drama. He is definitely not all bad, nor is he in anyway stupid.
My affection for Poldark started when I was about 12 and I watched the original Masterpiece theater on PBS. About four years ago I got nostalgic and re-watched the whole series and started reading the books. When I found out that the BBC had cast my favorite sexy dwarf as Poldark in a new production of course I was excited. Well, season one is now over, so I decided to pick up the last book I had been reading where I left off years ago. Did I really get through six of those books back then? I guess so.Reading this book was like visiting old friends and places. I enjoyed all the historical references and plot twists in this novel. I'm glad I decided to visit my favorite socially conscious Captain from Cornwall again.
—Debbie
Well named!This story has an undercurrent of anger to it that rises to a crescendo in the last chapters. It left me breathless. Drained.Reading these books has drawn me into this place in Cornwall that I dread leaving with the last book read. I do get tired when the politics, the war, of the day take precedence but I weather through in order to better understand just what everyone is going through and what motivates them to do what they do.There is much that is going on in this book and we see a greater maturation in Ross. However, the angry, young man he was when he came home to the death of his father and financial ruin, is still there. Despite a seat in Parliament, a war that everyday threatens England, Ross wants to gather his family closer to himself but there are other things going on that either prevent that, or put big obstacles in his way.Demelza seems much in the background but she is not a quiet mother and wife. She still seeks happiness for everyone around her and you know it physically hurts her when someone is not.Did I mention I feel drained?
—Jayne dArcy
I enjoyed this book it had lots of drama between the main characters.Osborne was murdered for having another affair (again) with Rowella, by her husband who caught them in the act. Osborne was a despicable character who had raped his wife regularly & slept with his sister in law and still believed he was a holy man of the church?! He deserved to be murdered! Poor Morweena incurred so much mental & physical abuse from Osborne that I hope she ends up finding some happiness married to Drake
—Linda Boyd
