The Awakening by Kate Chopin

When Edna Pontellier begins to question the life she has always known, she awakens to a new and dangerous sense of self. Set amid the shimmering heat of the Louisiana Gulf, The Awakening is a lyrical and daring exploration of desire, freedom, and the price of defying convention. Kate Chopin’s bold portrayal of a woman’s inner transformation shocked her century — and remains one of the most haunting, beautiful works in American literature.