(Poll Ballot) Demelza by Winston Graham - 4 stars

[Ellen]

In this second novel of the Poldark saga, Demelza, Ross Poldark's wife, is coming to be accepted by the locals as a bona fide member of the landed gentry. Although she was born poor and began her life in Ross' household as a kitchen maid, she is now much admired for her beauty and quick wit. She is now a mother of a lovely daughter named Julia who she dotes on as husband Ross spends much time away from home trying to begin a smelting business for the local copper mines. Behind the scenes, Demelza has begun interceding for Ross' cousin Verity and a widowed sea captain who is completely unacceptable as Verity's suiter by the Poldark men. Despite the fact that Verity loves the captain and that she is dangerously close to becoming a spinster the family disapproves of the match. Verity's life looms ahead of her as a lonely woman only fit as a family helper, bookkeeper, companion and constantly at the beck and call of those who need her. When the Poldark's eventually learn of the deception the family will be torn apart possibly irrevocably. All the while a terrible disease haunts the countryside taking the lives of young and old alike. The new young doctor Dwight Enys has his hands full with the suffering and a local woman who has eyes for the young physician instead of for her own husband.

The setting and time period are quite interesting: Cornwall in the late 1700's. The descriptions of the countryside are wonderful and the secondary characters in the story are well drawn. I believe this is a fairly long series but I will get to them all eventually.

[NancyJ]

Excellent review. I watched the series, and I loved the character of Demelza. I think the season that covered these stories was my favorite. I have the first book, but I was put off by the beginning for some reason. (Or it just didn't match my mood at the time.) Now enough time has gone by that I won't be distracted by details from the show, so I should try again. Your descriptions make me want to re-experience the stories.

[Nicole R]

I also watched this show and absolutely loved it! I probably won't get to the books any time soon, but perhaps one day I will pick them up when I want to revisit these characters and Cornwall.

[Ellen]

I could happily rewatch the entire series although I wasn't a fan of the ending.
The books are good, or at least the 2 I've read. I know it is set in the 1700's but the treatment of women is a tad hard to take at times.

[Joanne]

I still have the last season to watch-One of of my favorite PBS shows

[Robin P]

I loved the show but I agree the ending was weird. It is the one part of the series that wasn't based on the books. I read the first several books and they were also good. In the books Demelza was younger when she came to be a maid and also had black hair. I thought the actress who played her was great.