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, "'D6sir6e's Baby"--a haunting and ironic tale of miscegenation. Additional stories include "Madame C61estin's Divorce," "A Gentleman of Bayou Teche" and "At the 'Cadian Ball," from Bayou Folk; "A Respectable Woman," "A Night in Acadie" and"Az61ie" from A Night in Acadie; "The Dream of an Hour" and the tit4e 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 novel The Awakening (1899).

From Bayou Folk (1894)

Desiree's Baby

Madame Ce1estin's Divorce

At the 'Cadian Ball

A Gentleman of Bayou Teche

From A Night in Acadie (1897)

A Night in Acadie

Azelie

A Respectable Woman

From Vogue

The Dream of an Hour (December 6, 1894)

A Pair of Silk Stockings (September 16, 1897)