The Awakening and Selected Short Stories

At the time of publication, The Awakening saw more negative press than positive—Chopin, in ushering her female protagonists beyond the "traditional" confines of domesticity and motherhood, ruffled more than a few feathers.

The Awakening is credited with being among the first in "women's fiction," epitomized by shirking the aforementioned tropes that most female authors were expected to abide. It served as a great influence on later works of literature, particularly those that dealt with female characters struggling for independence and self-fulfillment.

But Chopin would have the last laugh: within only a few years after her death, her work was elevated to that reserved for the greatest of their time.

This collection includes The Awakening, as well as short stories Beyond the Bayou, Ma'ame Pélagie, Désirée's Baby, A Respectable Woman, The Kiss, A Pair of Silk Stockings, The Locket, and A Reflection.