Another great story from Winston Graham as we catch up with the Poldark family in 1815. The book is the eleventh in the saga which has followed the lives of Ross and Demelza over the last 32 years. Their older children are now married and coping with their own trials and tribulations. Relations between George Warleggan and Ross are as bad as ever. As usual we have page-turning storylines contrasting with the minutiae of everyday life set mostly in Cornwall and bought vividly to life.
But there's an event half way through the book that comes as a total surprise. At first I couldn't believe what I was reading, then I was shocked to the core and had to put the book down for a while as I came to terms with what had happened.
Clever writing indeed when a story can make the reader react in that way. It's what I love about these novels, the characters are so real I feel I know them well, and I laugh, cry, despair and celebrate along with them.