A young carpenter living in the fiction community of Hayslope, Adam Bede falls desperately in love with a local beauty, Hetty Sorrel. When two newcomers arrive in town-a gallant young captain and Hetty's gentle cousin Dinah-the affections and desires of these young people are pitted against the pressures of their social situations. Adam Bede is the first novel written by author George Eliot and was met with critical acclaim upon publication in 1859. Generally believed to be one of the best examples of realism in English literature, the novel has never been out of print.
