Why a Booktrail?
1780s, 1790s: The second book in the Poldark series and this time we hear from the street urchin Delmelza who is now Poldark’s wife..Sigh
Delmelza ( Poldark 2)
What you need to know before your trail
For starting life as an impoverished street urchin, Delmeza Carne has done quite well for herself. She is now married to Ross Poldark and yet struggles to live in his world with ‘his people’. Ross continues to fight for the rights of the miners – those he sees as his people. But some still find it hard to accept her in his life, least of all his former sweetheart Elizabeth.
Turbulent years test their marriage and their love. And an enemy appears on the scene who will cause a great deal of trouble for all of them.
Travel Guide
Well Cornwall of course is the setting as well as the main character in the novel for the original novels had the subtitle of ‘A novel of Cornwall’ and you really do get a strong feel for the time and place as well as its people in this saga. Down at the harbour:
“At the other side they looked upon a quay pyramided with merchandise which was being unloaded rom a long boat. Delemza stared about her, faintly mesmerized.”
Where the first novel took place between 1783 and 1787 this one takes the action forward to 1788 and 1790. Delmelza and Ross are married and they have a child Julia.
However, turbulent times are ahead. Poverty and illness ravage the countryside and the villages. Ross’ financial dealings in the Wheal Leisure mines are difficult and stressful.
“..there had been a storm meeting at the Wheal Leisure venturers at which Ross and Dr Choake had again got at loggerheads.”
This is the Cornwall seen through Delmelza’s eyes and her struggle to adapt to Cornish life and to her life as Ross’ wife. Demelza sees her life change – now she has to act like the mother and lady of the house that she is. No tackling Jed to the floor or getting into mischief (well not if she can help it)
Crossing the class divide from kitchen maid to lady has been no easy task and the fields and open landscape still provide much comfort to her. As does Nampara, the family home –
“But inside Nampara, in the little world made up of four walls and bright curtains and whispering voices, life was triumphant”.
The coastlines of Cornwall and its shipping and pirate laden past are stars in their own right.
“May month was a time for heavy gales, but the climate of Cornwall is capricious as any child ever born”
Delmelza takes life by the horns and shakes up the local community in a different yet still as effective way that her husband Ross does. He is a strong figurehead in the village yet Delmelza is somewhat of a Cornish enigma. Charming and funny –
Demelza a few mornings later was eating a silent breakfast and scheming. Ross should have known by now that silence at at mealtime was an ominous symptom….
Trail Gallery
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