Mayor of Casterbridge

The story unfolds with Michael Henchard, who, in a drunken stupor, auctions off his wife Susan and daughter Elizabeth-Jane, only to regret it upon sobering up. After swearing off alcohol for 21 years, he becomes a successful grain merchant and the Mayor of Casterbridge, concealing his past. His life takes a turn when he falls for Lucetta while on business in Jersey, but his world is disrupted when Susan returns with Elizabeth-Jane, forcing Henchard to confront his past decisions and their consequences.