Known for her vivid portrayals of Creole life in Louisiana, Kate Chopin (1851–1904) wrote, during her brief literary career, poignant and perceptive stories about the emotional lives of women. Bypassing many of the conventions of 19th-century realism, she won praise for her realistic portraits of the inhabitants of bayou and urban areas.
This collection of nine stories contains one of her most famous works, "Désirée's Baby" — a haunting and ironic tale of miscegenation. Additional stories include "Madame Célestin's Divorce," "A Gentleman of Bayou Téche" and "At the 'Cadian Ball," fromBayou Folk; "A Respectable Woman," "A Night in Acadie" and Azélie" fromA Night in Acadie; "The Dream of an Hour" and the title story. Written with grace, delicate humor and a keen understanding of the human — especially the female — psyche, these stories are a superb introduction to an important American writer whose literary career was cut short by the harsh criticism directed at her novelThe Awakening(1899).

Includes nine masterful portraits of black and white inhabitants of Louisiana's bayou and urban areas. Written with grace, delicate humor, and a keen understanding of the female psyche.

FromBayou Folk(1894)
  Désirée's Baby
  Madame Célestin's Divorce
  At the 'Cadian Ball
  A Gentleman of Bayou Têche
 
FromA Night in Acadie(1897)
  A Night in Acadie
  Azélie
  A Respectable Woman
 
FromVogue
  The Dream of an Hour (December 6, 1894)
  A Pair of Silk Stockings (September 16, 1897)