A review by coyotesprite
Demelza by Winston Graham

4.0

Before picking this up, I came to terms with the time period in which it was written and I decided to overlook the issues I had with the first book. At this point Ross and Demelza are both of age, and very much in love.

That being said, this book was pretty bleak. At this point, Ross has withstood about as much as a single person can possibly take. Even a man of breeding and military background has a breaking point. He’s genuinely a good man who cares about his employees, tenants, and his family. This puts pressure on him and his desperate need to provide for those under his care.

I would also like to say that I love Demelza. What a selfless, brave and flawed character. This author doesn’t spend much time writing inner monologue, so I wish Demelza could be fleshed out a little more, but I’m impressed with her growth in this book. Several times, she puts herself in compromising positions to help those she cares about.

Some new characters are introduced in this book, along with some old enemies from the last one. There’s a lot of gambling, mining, and smelting business talk. There’s also some murder and illness. The last bit of this book is tragic, and I’m ready to see what happens next.