The Mayor of Casterbridge

One of Thomas Hardys well-known Wessex books The Mayor of Casterbridge was first published in 1886 and is set in a fictional village in rural England. It tells the story of hay trusser Michael Henchard who in an inebriated rage sells his wife and infant daughter to a sailor. Henchard becomes the mayor of Casterbridge 19 years later but the horrible truth of his former existence still festers in his heart. When his wife and daughter visit Casterbridge at the height of his success he is forced to confront his history. The Mayor of Casterbridge a tragic story about a dishonest character is regarded as the pinnacle of Hardys richly imagined dramatic works.