An Apple Books Classic edition.

Thomas Hardy’s gripping novel follows a man’s long struggle with the consequences of one catastrophic choice. Drunk and bitter at a country fair, laborer Michael Henchard sells his wife and infant daughter to a passing sailor. Years later, sober and respected as the mayor of Casterbridge, he’s built a successful new life through hard work and sheer will. But when his wife and grown daughter return, Henchard’s carefully constructed world begins to crumble.

As rivals emerge and his secrets surface, Henchard’s pride becomes his worst enemy while he hurtles toward inevitable ruin. Stark and propulsive, The Mayor of Casterbridge is a devastating portrait of self-destruction.