The Trumpet-Major

Lyrical and light-hearted, yet shot through with Hardy’s characteristic irony, THE TRUMPET-MAJOR is one of Hardy’s most underrated and unpredictable works.

Anne Garland, who lives with her widowed mother in a mill owned by Miller Loveday, has three suitors- the local squire’s nephew Festus and the miller’s two sons, Robert and John. While Festus’ aggressive pursuit deters the young woman from considering him as a husband, the indecisive Anne wavers between light-hearted Bob and gentle…