Tess of the d’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

A poor young woman, Tess Durbeyfield, discovers her family’s noble ancestry and is sent to seek favor from wealthy relatives. Her life is upended by betrayal and hardship after she’s wronged by Alec d’Urberville and later finds love with the idealistic Angel Clare. Society’s moral hypocrisy and cruel judgment drive Tess to tragedy as she struggles for dignity and redemption. The novel exposes the harsh injustices faced by women and the unforgiving constraints of Victorian morality.