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