Tess Durbeyfield seems destined for a simple life. The daughter of simple people, in a simple town, she knows her place and is content. That is until her life changes when her drunken father discovers he is a member of an ancient aristocratic family, the d'Urbervilles. After an accident where the family's horse is killed, Tess's mother sends her to seek help from their wealthy 'relations', but will the acquaintance be a help, or send Tess and her family into further trouble and ruin?