Smith & Taylor Classics Under the Greenwood Tree, Book 16, (Paperback)

<b>Mellstock is a small Dorset village with strong opinions about church music. </b><p></p><p>When the new schoolmistress, Fancy Day, arrives and promptly captivates every man in the parish, the village's band of folk musicians finds itself contending with two threats at once: the vicar's plan to replace them with a modern organ, and the distraction of watching Dick Dewy fall helplessly in love. </p><p><i>Under the Greenwood Tree</i> (1872) is Hardy's first major novel and his most quietly contented one. Organised by the seasons, rooted in rural English life, and genuinely funny, it's a portrait of a tight-knit community on the cusp of change. A new world is encroaching, but slowly. For now, there is courtship, there is snow on a clear Christmas Eve night and wind in the trees, and there is music.</p>

• Smith & Taylor Classics Under the Greenwood Tree, Book 16, (Paperback)
• Author: Smith & Taylor Classics
• ISBN: 9781961884953
• Format: Paperback
• Publication Date: 2026-11-03
• Page Count: 300