Following a series of misfortunes, Tess Durbeyfield leaves her impoverished family to seek work with her rich relations.

Her new employer, Alec d’Urberville, seems charming and kind. Tess has a mind of her own, but she is vulnerable and alone among strangers. Can she trust Alec?

A year later Tess meets Angel Clare, and they fall in love. If Angel discovers the truth about Tess’ past, will he still love her?

In this gripping story of courage, love, and betrayal, Thomas Hardy asks many difficult questions. Are the expectations of women and men the same? Can we ever escape the consequences of our past actions? How much pain can one person endure?

Many people these days know the novels of Thomas Hardy only through film and television adaptations. But if you haven’t read Hardy, you’ll have missed the subtleties of his characters and the power of his language. Now these Real Reads versions of Hardy offer the young, the busy, and the reluctant reader a bridge to the original.