In drunken anger, Michael Henchard sells his wife and baby at a country fair. Over the following years, he establishes himself as a pillar of society but his shameful secret is never to leave him. Featuring one of Hardy's most memorable characters, the novel portrays Victorian country life.

In drunken anger, Michael Henchard sells his wife and baby at a country fair. Over the following years, he establishes himself as a pillar of society but his shameful secret is never to leave him. Featuring one of Hardy's most memorable characters, the novel portrays Victorian country life.