Mayor of Casterbridge

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) is a poignant tragic novel by renowned English author Thomas Hardy, subtitled The Life and Death of a Man of Character. Set against the backdrop of the fictional town of Casterbridge—modeled after Dorchester in Dorset—the story unfolds in Hardys richly imagined Wessex. It follows a troubled young man who, in a moment of despair and intoxication, sells his wife and child to the highest bidder. Upon awakening sober the next day, he is filled with regret and vows to abandon alcohol in a desperate quest to reunite with his family. As he strives to rebuild his life, he finds success, only to be confronted nearly two decades later by the haunting shadows of his past. (DebraLynn)