Published in 2003 (first published 1893-1904)
210 pages
Kate Chopin was an American novelist and short-story writer best known for her startling 1899 novel, The Awakening. Born in St. Louis, she moved to New Orleans after marrying Oscar Chopin in 1870. Less than a decade later Oscar’s cotton business fell on hard times and they moved to his family’s plantation in the Natchitoches Parish of northwestern Louisiana. Oscar died in 1882 and Kate was suddenly a young widow with six children. She turned to writing and published her first poem in 1889. The Awakening, considered Chopin’s masterpiece, was subject to harsh criticism at the time for its frank approach to sexual themes. It was rediscovered in the 1960s and has since become a standard of American literature, appreciated for its sophistication and artistry. Chopin’s short stories of Cajun and Creole life are collected in Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897), and include “Desiree’s Baby,” “The Story of an Hour” and “The Storm.” She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century.
What is this book about?
This collection of Kate Chopin’s works includes her novel The Awakening and eight of her most well-known short stories. The Awakening was condemned by most critics when it was first published in 1899 but now is celebrated for its early feminist views. Chopin advocates for women’s rights in this novel, chronicling a housewife’s evolution from an obedient wife and mother into a liberated, independent woman. Also included in this collection is Chopin’s celebrated short story “Desiree’s Baby,” which addresses the subject of racial prejudice. The novel and stories in this unabridged collection reflect the best of this American author’s life work, published over the years from 1893 until after her death in 1904.
Contents:
Introduction by Marilynne Robinson
The Awakening
Beyond the Bayou
Ma’ame Pélagie
Désirée’s Baby
A Respectable Woman
The Kiss
A Pair of Silk Stockings
The Locket
A Reflection
Bibliography
