Poldark: Jeremy Poldark by Winston Graham

Jeremy Poldark is the third book in the Poldark series by Winston Graham and carries on where the second book, Demelza, left off in the lives of Ross and Demelza Poldark, their relatives, friends and enemies.

This is the front cover and blurb:

This was a hard book to track down.  I bought the first two books and eventually got round to reading them once work permitted several months later.  Despite having already watched the first series of the BBC 2015 TV series (a second series was commissioned and has aired), I devoured these books quickly and was soon keen to know the outcome of Ross' arrest at the end of the second book and first TV series. 

But, alas, Jeremy Poldark was an elusive book on the shelves of Whitcoulls and Paper Plus.  I would ask, and I would be told that the book was sold out.  But then, at Paper Plus in Te Awamutu, I struck gold with one of the sales team who looked it up on their computer and was able to order me in a copy.  But now I find I can not access the next six books in the series... the seventh book being the only other book available for purchase currently through the Paper Plus website!

As I alluded to earlier, this book deals with the aftermath of Ross being arrested at the end of the Demelza book for murder, inciting a riot and ship wrecking.  These charges weigh heavily on Ross and he nearly sinks his own defence in an effort to remain true to the facts and his own beliefs.  Meanwhile Demelza is determined to help Ross, and endeavours to create new friendships and use her charm to create influence with the court magistrate.

During this time, Francis has a crisis of his conscious in his dealings with the Warleggans and his loyalty to Ross; Francis and Verity attempt to mend fences with each other; Ross and Francis mend their relationship and endeavour to go into business together; George Warleggan attempts to thwart justice and derail Ross financially; Francis and Captain Blamey come to a truce; Verity meets her step children; and Demelza hides the fact she is pregnant from Ross and her jealousy of Elizabeth threatens to derail the love she and Ross share.

Despite the fact that the book is called Jeremy Poldark, he is not mentioned directly until the very end of the second to last chapter.  The book following this book is called Warleggan, but I don't know when I will be able to read it, if at all.

Poldark: Demelza by Winston Graham

Demelza is the second book in the Poldark series by Winston Graham.  The events in this book are also covered in the 2015 BBC tv series.  It carries on from the first book, Ross Poldark, taking up where that one left off.

This is the cover and blurb for the book.

This book covers how Demelza grows into the role of wife of a gentleman and mother.  Julia is born in May and become the focus of the Poldark household as Demelza and Ross adjust to being parents.  They hold a chiristening party for their daughter which Demelza's father and new step mother unexpectedly attend and put the neighbours and guests at odds with her background.


Demelza's adjustment to society as a gentleman's wife, her relationship with Ross and his wider family are a running theme throughout this book.  But Demelza's beauty, charm and warmness endear her to not only the people who rely on Ross for their livelihoods, but the neighbours of his class.  Ross' relationship with authority, his cousin Francis and the Warleggan's, which could cause his downfall in a variety of ways is another constant theme.


Ross' friends Mark and Dwight (the doctor) also feature strongly in this book and befall their own scandals.  Tragedy befalls the Poldarks and pushes Ross to be careless, which puts his freedom and everything he has at risk.

Despite having watched a large part of the action of this book during the first television series, I could barely put this book down and was very keen to read the following book.  This book is followed by Jeremy Poldark.

Poldark: Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

Ross Poldark is the first book of the Poldark series by Winston Graham.  In the 1970s there was a tv series based on the book, and in 2015 the BBC released a new tv series that covered the events covered in the first two books of the series.

This is the cover and the blurb for the first book:

The book naturally introduces the major characters, the places, tensions and themes of this series in the opening chapters.  Ross Poldark, a young man who had run ins with the law in his youth, has returned from the American colonies after the English armies were defeated in the American Independence War to find his father is deceased, his servants are drunken and his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth, is married to his cousin, Francis.

Ross sets about putting his house, farm and servants to rights, and then turns his attention to his derelict mines.  During this time he also rescues a young girl, Demelza, from a brawl.  He then takes her home to be his scullery maid.  His cousin Verity complicates Ross' life when she falls in love with Captain Blamey, who her father and brother consider to be an unsuitable match for Verity and ban her from associating with him.

Ross discovers that his cousin Francis is poor at business and is more inclined to gamble and drink his time away with his friends the Warleggans.  The Warleggans, originally blacksmiths, have become money lenders, and the majority of the landed upper classes and mine owners seem to be indebted to the Warleggans at various levels.  The Warleggans have become wealthy from their business dealings and use this wealth to elevate their status in society.  However, Ross takes an instant dislike to George and his uncle Cary, and does not trust them in business either.

This book is followed by the book Demelza in the series.  There are eleven books in the series.

It is a delightful look into the Georgian era, post the loss of the American colonies and for those who have read a wide range of Jane Austen books, you will be able to contrast the two eras and compare and contrast the manners and social expectations of the times.  And you always find the book better than the movie or tv programme based on it.