England is gripped by a chilling stagnation... falling wages, rising prices, civil unrest—only the bankers are smiling. The year is 1783, and Ross Poldark returns to his beloved Cornwall from the American Revolutionary War to find his world in ruins: his father is dead, his family estate is long closed, his home is in shambles, and his sweetheart has promised to marry his cousin. However, Ross discovers that hope and love can be found in the wild yet beautiful Cornish landscape when you least expect it.