Tired from a grim war in America, Ross Poldark returns to his land and family, only to find his father has died, his estate is derelict and the girl he loved is engaged to another. But then he rescues a half-starved urchin girl and takes her home, an act which, it turns out, will alter his life. 

          The main character, Ross Poldark, a British Army officer, returns to his home in Cornwall from the American Revolutionary War only to find that his fiancée, Elizabeth Chynoweth, having believed him dead, is about to marry his cousin, Francis Poldark. Ross attempts to restore his own fortunes by reopening one of the family’s tin mines. After several years he marries Demelza Carne, a servant girl, and is gradually reconciled to the loss of Elizabeth’s love. By then, Elizabeth has become a widow and marries George Warleggan, Ross’s arch-enemy.