The Woodlanders

Thomas Hardy's 1887 novel "The Woodlanders" takes place in the woodland village of Little Hintock and concerns the story of Giles Winterborne, an honest woodsman who wishes to marry his childhood sweetheart, Grace Melbury. While the two are informally betrothed to each other, when Grace gains an education through her father's persistent financial sacrifices he feels that his daughter is too good for a simple woodsman and pushes her into the direction of another suitor. Set in a rustic, evocative setting, "The Woodlanders" is rich with such Hardyan themes as unrequited love and social class mobility. A classic novel, "The Woodlanders" is a worthy addition to the works of Thomas Hardy and fans of the author will enjoy this somber and tragic tale.