Far from the Madding Crowd: the Classic Romance Novel by Thomas Hardy

Called "One of the Greatest Love Stories of All Time" by The Guardian in 2007, Far From the Madding Crowd is a pastoral romance set in the rural southwest region of England. When Gabriel Oak, a shepherd, faces a disastrous loss of his chance at building a farm of his own, he seeks work in a nearby town with no luck. As he travels to another hiring fair, he helps save a mysterious farmer's estate from a dangerous fire. After asking for work as a shepherd, he discovers that he knows and once loved the owner, the strong and beautiful Bathsheba Everdeen, who has inherited her uncle's estate and is now wealthy. Gabriel goes to work for Bathsheba and quietly and patiently serves her as both shepherd and advisor. His love grows, but will she acknowledge him?
Far from the Madding Crowd is a beautiful story of love and friendship.