When Margery, a humble dairymaid, helps a distressed foreign nobleman escape captivity, she is swept into a world far beyond her quiet rural existence. In gratitude, he offers her a glimpse of a more glamorous life, inviting her to a grand ball where she briefly experiences the allure of wealth and romance. But as Margery returns to her village and faces pressure to marry her devoted but unremarkable suitor, her heart lingers on what might have been.
The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid is a novella about dreams, class divisions, and missed opportunities, capturing Thomas Hardy’s signature themes of fate and unfulfilled longing.
THOMAS HARDY [1840-1928] was an English poet and author. His work is characterized by realism and criticism of the strict Victorian ideals which he believed limited people's lives and happiness. He achieved great success with the novel Under the Greenwood Tree [1872] and continued with successes such as Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
