A book of the year in The Times, Guardian, Independent, New Statesman, Bookseller and Waterstones.

Thomas Hardy is one of the most beloved and widely read British authors. His influence on literature and his readers is unique. But how is it possible that the novelist who created some of the most unforgettable and modern female characters in literature had such poor relationships with real women?

In this innovative book, acclaimed biographer Paula Byrne re-examines Hardy's life through the eyes of the women who shaped him - mother, sisters, girlfriends, wives, muses. The narrative includes shocking scenes such as his obsession with the sight of a woman being hanged, tender images of unfulfilled passion, and fascinating details of the lives of working women in the nineteenth century.

Hardy's Women is the story of how the wonderful fictional women he invented would not have been possible without the toughness and resilience of the real women who shaped his passions and imagination. Only by understanding and observing these tough women can we truly enter the heart of this great novelist and poet.

Pages: 656, Year of Publication: 1104, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm