An Apple Books Classic edition.

In his poignantly romantic novel, Thomas Hardy follows an independent young woman as she navigates love and the cost of freedom in rural England.

When Bathsheba Everdene inherits a farm, she refuses to marry and hand it over to a man. Instead, she runs it herself, making choices both wise and disastrous. Three very different men pursue her: steady Gabriel Oak, wealthy William Boldwood, and dashing Sergeant Troy.

Bathsheba’s decisions shape not just her own fate, but those of everyone around her. Deeply felt and painfully human, Far from the Madding Crowd shows Hardy’s hopeful side, celebrating a woman who insists on choosing her own path.