Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Tess Durbeyfield's father forcibly sends her off to work for the wealthy D'Urberville family, hoping to alleviate their poverty and perhaps secure her a marriage to the cruel and manipulative Alec D'Urberville. His terrible assault upon her, and the subsequent child, form the heart of Tess's tragic life - as family, love and future are taken away from her by the repressive mores of Victorian society. An unforgettably powerful tragedy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one of the great classics of the late nineteenth century.