Far from the Madding Crowd: Thomas Hardy

Into the sleepy village of Weatherbury arrives one day Bathsheba Everdene, come to take charge of her late uncle`s thriving farm. Strong willed and beautiful, her presence ensures that life in the area will never be the same again.
She attracts three suitors, each of whom is very different: faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak; dour gentleman-farmer William Boldwood; and dashing seducer Sergeant Francis (Frank) Troy. Impulsive and independent, Bathsheba`s wavering passions commit her to none - and yet to all - of them, with some disastrous consequences.
Far From the Madding Crowd (1874) was the first of Hardy`s Wessex novels and remains one of his most well-known and popular.