THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

The author of several novels including, “Far from the Madding Crowd” and “Tess of the d’Ubervilles”, Thomas Hardy was born in England, in 1840 and died in 1928.

 

“The Mayor of Casterbridge”, follows the story of a young man who makes a serious, impactful decision that changes his life and the life of his family, forever.

 

The story opens on a summer eve, as a man and woman walk towards the town of Weydon-Priors, in Upper Wessex.  The woman holds a child in her arms.  The man, Michael Henchard, indulges in a card game and loses.  He jokes about not wanting his wife whom he married at eighteen.

For payment he offers his wife and baby girl, Elizabeth-Jane.  The bidding begins among the men.

A sailor, named Newsom, wins the bid.

The next day, Henchard awakes ashamed of his actions and begins the search for his family.

 

Excellent story full of lively, sympathetic, characters.