A Pair of Blue Eyes
by Thomas Hardy
Elfrid finds himself in a battle between his heart, his mind, and the expectations of his parents and society. The novel is notable for its strong parallels with Hardy and his first wife, Emma Gifford. When Elfrid's father learns that Stephen Smith, the assistant architect who is a candidate for his guest and daughter's hand, is the son of a Mason, he immediately orders him to leave. It was the third of Hardy's novels to be published and the first to bear his name. (source: Wikipedia)
