This deeply moving novel first published in 1859 is set fifty years earlier in the heart of the English countryside. George Eliot's compassion for all her characters, even those who make the most disastrous decisions and errors, who break hearts and who break the law, is based on her profound understanding of people's motives and intentions, the reasoning behind their actions, and the unintended consequences that result. This is one of my favorite novels. It has been such a pleasure to re-read it.