<p><em>Further from the Madding Crowd </em>is a contemporary re-telling of Hardy's classic romance, 'Far from the Madding Crowd'. Many of the social issues Hardy championed have been largely resolved, but the romantic element remains as powerful as ever. The setting is a fictional Peak District rather than Wessex. The story relates the romantic pursuit of the beautiful but vain, Tara Beaumont-Smith by three disparate admirers. The serious and reliable Joshua Latham, the wily charmer, Bradley King and the local businessman and country gent, Theodore Walklate, all vie for Tara's attention. Set against the backdrop of family businesses, the hospitality industry and management consultancy, a story unfolds of deception, intrigue, unrequited passion and the frailties of human emotions.</p>