Set in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Cornwall, England, this twelve-book historical saga follows a British army officer who returns home from the American Revolutionary War to rebuild his ruined estate and tin mine while navigating rigid class divisions, political ambition, and complicated personal relationships in a poor rural community. The series spans several generations and is known for its richly atmospheric Cornish setting, morally complex central character, and sweeping portrait of a community across decades of social and historical change.
Set in late eighteenth-century Cornwall, England, a British army officer returns home from the American Revolutionary War to find his estate in ruin, his father dead, and the woman he loved engaged to his cousin — and must rebuild his life and his mine while navigating the rigid class divisions and hardships of a poor rural community. The first book in a long-running historical saga.
In this second installment of a historical saga set in late eighteenth-century Cornwall, the mine owner from the first book has married a young woman from the lowest social class, and both must navigate the prejudices of local society while facing financial pressure, illness, and the arrival of a woman from his past who threatens their marriage. The story deepens the social and emotional world of the series.
In this third installment of a historical saga set in Cornwall, the central character faces financial ruin and a criminal trial while struggling to keep his mine open and his household together — and a desperate act pushes him toward decisions that could destroy everything he has rebuilt. The series continues to deepen its portrait of class struggle and personal resilience.
In this fourth installment of a historical saga set in late eighteenth-century Cornwall, the central character's marriage reaches a breaking point as his wife forms a close attachment to another man while he becomes entangled with a wealthy and manipulative rival who seeks to ruin him financially and socially. The novel is the most emotionally intense of the early series.
In this fifth installment of a historical saga set in late eighteenth-century Cornwall, religious fervor sweeps through the community as one character becomes drawn into a Methodist revival, while the central couple attempts to repair their marriage and new dangers threaten the precarious stability of the community. The novel expands the social and spiritual dimensions of the series.
In this sixth installment of a historical saga set in late eighteenth-century Cornwall, the central character stands for Parliament while managing the competing emotional demands of his marriage and an intense new attraction — and several characters across the community find themselves at romantic and social crossroads. The novel expands the series' cast and deepens its social portrait.
In this seventh installment of a historical saga set in late eighteenth-century Cornwall, the consequences of the events of the previous book play out with devastating effect as a major character faces death and the central couple must confront the damage done to their marriage. The novel is widely considered the emotional and dramatic peak of the series.
In this eighth installment of a historical saga, the story moves forward a generation as a young man washes ashore near the Poldark estate and is taken in by the family — becoming entangled in the lives of the next generation of characters while the original central couple enters a quieter chapter of their lives. The novel begins a new phase of the series with fresh protagonists.
In this ninth installment of a historical saga set in early nineteenth-century Cornwall, the younger generation of characters navigates romantic rivalries, social pressures, and personal ambitions as the original central couple recedes further into the background. The novel deepens the next generation's storylines within the series' familiar world.
In this tenth installment of a historical saga set in early nineteenth-century Cornwall, the romantic and social entanglements of the younger generation continue as choices made in earlier books come to fruition — with marriages, betrayals, and new alliances reshaping the community. The novel continues to develop the next generation as its primary focus.
In this eleventh installment of a historical saga, the Napoleonic Wars provide a backdrop of renewed danger as several characters are drawn into the conflict surrounding the Hundred Days — Napoleon's brief return to power — and the Battle of Waterloo. The novel brings historical events into direct contact with the series' characters for the first time since the early books.
In this twelfth and final installment of the Poldark saga, set in post-Napoleonic Cornwall and London, the youngest generation of characters pursues their futures — including a daughter with ambitions for the stage — as the long-running series draws its many storylines toward a close. The novel provides a warm and elegiac conclusion to a saga spanning more than five decades of story time.