It's easy to feel at home in Mitford, North Carolina. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are friendly. Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that's sixty years old....

"Hardy's penultimate work, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is arguably the greatest tragedy of all Victorian literature. It tells the story of Tess, an impoverished woman whose past relations and miscarriage cause her to be rejected by her husband on their wedding night. Touching upon the themes of class, religion, gender, and sexuality, the novel was highly controversial for its time and is held in high esteem by literary scholars to this day."--Publisher...

"Robert Glory has never quite felt as though he fit in the small town of Esau, Michigan, but finds solace in his role as the pastor of Esau Baptist and his spare, orderly routine. When Susan Shearer arrives at his church seeking the strength to stay trueto her tormented and increasingly volatile husband, neither expect that their immediate connection will upend both of their lives. As their relationship deepens and Susan's domestic situation becomes...

In the quaint English village of Thrush Green, a terrible fire has burned the rectory to the ground. Now, kindly vicar Charles Henstock has been appointed to the neighboring town of Lulling and its combined parishes. But while he enjoys the beautiful Queen Anne house provided for him, and his pleasant new surroundings, going to a new church is never easy: Poor Dr. Henstock has encountered some very redoubtable females in Lulling; a full-scale power...