The Mayor of Casterbridge

A shameful act of drunken impetuousness results in Michael Henchard losing his wife and daughter in an auction. This evil deed remains secret for years, during which time Henchard climbs the social ladder from working as a roving hay-trusser to becoming the upstanding Mayor of Casterbridge. An intricate tale of duplicity, comeuppance and regret, this novel puts its characters' principles to the test.