NYT/USA Today Bestselling author Cat Valente (@CatValente) is here to dish about Cornwall's biggest fuckboi-- Ross Poldark! The myth of war heroism, what to do with maturing kitchenmaids, and how to screw over unscrupulous bankers is discussed at hilarious length. To pick up a copy of Cat's books, click here: https://bookshop.org/shop/fuckboisoflit

For a transcript of this episode, visit our website: https://www.fuckboisoflit.com/episodes/2020/7/22/episode-63-poldark

Summary of ROSS POLDARK, the first book in the POLDARK series:

Ross Poldark, son of the second son of a noble family, returns home from fighting for the British in the American Revolutionary War, to find his father deceased and his childhood love, Elizabeth, engaged to marry his good-for-nothing cousin, Francis Poldark. Ross, left with little money and a dilapidated farm and dried-up copper mine, is left to make his fortune with his own know-how. While taking out loans to furnish and fit his farm for productivity, he runs across an abused urchin girl named Demelza, whom he rescues to become his kitchen maid. Ross quickly becomes the talk of the town for his unusual habits, and his friendliness with his tenants. As the book spans several years, Demelza ages and dynamics of the Poldark family change, as Francis's land-owning father dies, Elizabeth bears the Poldark family a son, and Francis uses his family money to gamble and live a life of luxury he can't seem to afford, tempted by the wealthy, "new money" scion, George Warleggen. Demelza, upon turning 17, covinces Ross to marry her. The book ends with Demelza announcing her first pregnancy.