When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. With its sensitive depiction of the wronged Tess and powerful criticism of social convention, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one of the most moving and poetic of Hardy's novels.
When the starving Durbeyfields from the small village of Marlott discover a connection to the wealthy D'Urbervilles, they send their beautiful daughter Tess to the D'Urberville mansion to claim kinship and restore their fortunes with a lucrative match. But can she convince her handsome 'cousin' Alec to help her? Or will their romance ultimately prove her downfall?