One of the earliest feminist works in American literature, The Awakening tells the story of Edna Pontellier. Unsatisfied with societal expectations and unhappy with her family life, she begins to fall in love with the dapper Robert Lebrun. Lebrun's flirtations, along with the lifestyle of renown musician Mademoiselle Reisz, rejuvenates Edna's sense of freedom and independence. However, an affair with the womanizer Alcee Arobin provides Edna with a taste of the danger that comes from living outside of social convention. Trapped between the life she is expected to live and the one she longs to lead, Edna struggles to find happiness. Also included are eight of Chopin's most celebrated short stories: A Pair of Silk Stockings, A Reflection, A Respectable Woman, Beyond the Bayou, Desiree's Baby, Ma'ame Pelagie, The Kiss, and The Locket.
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Kate Chopin (1851–1904) was born in St. Louis. After marrying, she moved to Louisiana, where she raised six children. Chopin earned acclaim for her finely crafted short stories about the Creole and Cajun people of Louisiana. But her novel, The Awakening, was condemned for its controversial themes, which foreshadowed later feminist literature.
Susie Berneis is a professional voice-over artist. She has a BA in English and theater from the University of Michigan and more than twenty years of community theater experience. Her audiobook narrations include The Secret of Raven Point by Jennifer Vanderbes, which won an AudioFile Earphones Award in 2014.