This vintage book contains Thomas Hardy's 1892 novel, "Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented". It is the story of Tess, the daughter of uneducated peasants who is cajoled into seeking employment with the wealthy Mrs D'Urbervilles. She is instigated in this action by her father, who believes the two women are related. Mrs d'Urbervilles' libertine son takes an interest in Tess, who is compelled to entertain his persistent advances in the hope of attaining a good standing with the family – but at what cost? Although considered a major nineteenth-century English novel and perhaps Hardy's masterpiece, it received mixed reviews upon original publication. We are republishing this antiquarian book now in an affordable, modern edition, complete with a specially commissioned biography of the author.