The Black Moon (1973)

The Black Moon is the fifth of twelve novels in Poldark, a series of historical novels by Winston Graham. After an 18-year hiatus from the Cornwall novels, it was published in 1973. While Ward Lock published the first four novels in the series, publishing house Collins took over the reins with the fifth entry.

Two children are born in the novel: A son, Valentine, to George and Elizabeth Warleggan; and a daughter, Clowance, to Ross and Demelza Poldark. Dwight Enys, captured by the French and held as a prisoner-of-war, is rescued by Ross Poldark and a crew of Cornishmen. Two of Demelza's brothers, Sam and Drake Carne, enter the story and become major figures, as does Elizabeth's cousin Morwenna Chynoweth. Ray Penvenen dies, making Caroline an heiress. Aunt Agatha also dies, in dramatic circumstances. Wheal Grace starts yielding a decent payoff for Ross and Demelza. The Warleggan clan goes from financial success to financial success and George becomes a magistrate. The novel ends with George wondering whether he really is the father of Valentine.

Synopsis

Book One

Book One, with twelve chapters, opens in February 1794 with the birth at Trenwith of Elizabeth's second son. He is named Valentine Warleggan. He is born on the day of lunar eclipse, also called a "black moon". The book closes in September 1794.

Two of Demelza's brothers – Samuel and Drake Carne – walk to Nampara in March. They tell Demelza that her father died a month ago, and they ask Ross for jobs in his mine. He agrees to do this. They repair and live in Reath Cottage, the former home of Mark and Keren Daniel. Samuel is an ardent Methodist. Desiring to add a room to Reath Cottage to serve as a Methodist meeting place, they carry a heavy shipmast home to serve as a ceiling beam. They carry it across Trenwith land and in so doing, run into young Geoffrey Charles Poldark and his governess, Morwenna Chynoweth. Drake has eyes for her. Morwenna and Geoffrey Charles agree to keep the fact of the trespassing to themselves.

In May, Demelza tells Ross she is expecting another child.

Caroline Penvenen, staying with her uncle, hears that several British ships were sunk in recent fighting. One of them might be the ship Dwight Enys is on. She rides to Falmouth, where Verity Blamey (née Poldark) lives, to see if Verity knows or can find out. She learns that his ship, the Travail, is one of the sunken ships. However, it is not clear what Dwight's fate was. She returns to Killewarren and is reluctant to leave for more than a few hours at a time because her uncle is dying. Ross visits, and she asks him to use his contacts in the smuggling community to see if they know anything.

Ross sets out to buy a horse for Demelza and runs into an old acquaintance, Bartholomew "Tholly" Tregirls. They haven't seen each other for over a decade. Tholly, halfway in age between Ross and Ross's father, has a hook for one hand from a shipping accident, is an inveterate womanizer and is not aging well.

Drake Carne runs into Geoffrey Charles and Morwenna on Hendrawna Beach. He takes them to interesting spots he has discovered. He asks Demelza to teach him to read and write.

Sam Carne builds a local group of Methodists and, since there is no Methodist church to attend on Sundays, he takes them to the Anglican church in Sawle. This is the church attended by the occupants of Trenwith, a group now headed by George Warleggan. Warleggan indicates to the pastor that he expects the congregation to stand in respect when the Warleggans enter the church. Sam Carne and his Methodists are not interested in doing that, so Pastor Odgers tells them they are no longer welcome.

Ralph-Allen Daniell is introduced: He "was a very rich merchant, middle-aged, comfortable, well thought of, who had had no need to align himself with anyone, since his interests were wide enough to guarantee his independence and his innate caution saw no virtue in taking sides". He asks Ross to serve as a magistrate. Ross turns him down, even when he is told that if he doesn't take it, the position will be offered to George Warleggan. George, when the offer is made to him, immediately accepts.

Ross predicts a famine, because "the pilchard catch was poor for the third year running" and the corn crop largely failed.

Ross travels to Brittany courtesy of a smuggling crew in search of news about Dwight. He learns that it is very likely that he survived the shipwreck of the Travail and is being held as a prisoner-of-war.

Book Two

Book Two, consisting of eight chapters, opens in November 1794 with the birth of a daughter to Demelza. The girl is named Clowance.

Ray Penvenen dies in late November.

Morwenna Chynoweth and Geoffrey Charles Poldark are left at Trenwith, with Aunt Agatha and servants, while Elizabeth and George Warleggan spend months late in the year and on into the new year at their estate Cardew. Drake Carne takes advantage of their absence to frequently visit Geoffrey Charles and Morwenna at Trenwith. This allows him to develop his relationship with Morwenna. They kiss for the first time: "He bent his head and put his lips against hers. Her lips were cool and a little dry, like petals just unfurling from the bud. Complete chastity and complete sexuality coexisted in them... so a relationship was sealed that had no business to begin and no authority to continue." At Cardew, George announces to Elizabeth that he has decided to find a wealthy or socially connected husband for Morwenna. Osborne "Ossie" Whitworth is chosen.

The Warleggans decide to close Wheal Leisure even though it is still making a modest profit. Ross, when told of this, says, "Merciful God... that will mean throwing upon the parish sixty or seventy folk: thirty-five to forty families will be affected, among them some of my own friends".