These brilliant stories deal with love and life in Louisiana during the Civil War through the turn of the century. The Cajun and French-Creole traditions make a rich backdrop for these deeply human tales. In "Disirie's Baby" a young plantation owner marries and has a child with features of the slave race; in "A Lady of Bayou St. John" a young woman becomes a devoted wife after her husband is killed; in "The Story of an Hour" a woman is surprised by her feelings at the news of her husband's death. Other stories include "Love on the Bon-Dieu," "The Unexpected," "Fedora," "The Godmother," and "At the 'Cadian Ball." After more than a half century of neglect, Kate Chopin's writings have at last regained the attention of readers, writers, and critics. These stories, some of her best, demonstrate her special insight and understanding of irony.