Set in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast at the end of the nineteenth century The Awakening
centers on Edna Pontellier an apparently happy twenty-eight-year-old wife and mother of two.
But when a summer romance reignites Edna’s appetite for life she discovers that her
conventional family friends and surroundings do not make her happy. Boldly—and to the
astonishment of her husband and the consternation of New Orleans society—Edna begins to
discover the joys of solitude creative expression and erotic freedom. A scandal and a shock
to readers when it was first published in 1899 The Awakening remains a daring portrayal of a
woman rejecting domesticity in favor of her own happiness and self-expression. This edition
includes some of Chopin’s most studied short stories including “Desiree’s Baby ” “A Pair of
Silk Stockings ” and “The Story of an Hour.”
