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 this story the author recreates her own childhood through the story of the gifted Maggie Tulliver and her spoilt, selfish brother. Though tragic in its outcome, this comic novel combines vivid images of family life with a portrait of the heroine.