A powerful, mythic portrayal of tragic lives, The Return of the Native is set against the brooding backdrop of Egdon Heath. It tells the story of tempestuous beauty Eustacia, who looks to the return of Clym Yeobright from Paris to bring her escape from the stifling community she lives in. But Clym turns out to have dreams of his own, and they will clash fatally with Eustacia's passionate longings. In a vivid drama of romantic illusion and thwarted ambition, their fates are played out against the merciless forces of nature.