This collection investigates the personal history and domestic life of Emma Lavinia Gifford Hardy, the first wife of novelist Thomas Hardy. The text presents a series of autobiographical recollections written by Emma Hardy, providing a firsthand account of her upbringing, her early life in Cornwall, and her initial meeting with Thomas Hardy. Edited by Evelyn Hardy and Robert Gittings, the volume contextualizes these memories through scholarly introductions and the inclusion of relevant poetry composed by Thomas Hardy, which serves to illuminate the complex interpersonal dynamics of their marriage.

Scholars and literary historians view this work as a critical primary source for understanding the biographical inspirations behind Thomas Hardy's poetry. Readers frequently note the historical value of these recollections in balancing the often one-sided narrative surrounding the Hardy marriage.