Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, the Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms. In this stunning work of early feminist literature, New Orleans housewife Edna Pontellier attempts to balance motherhood and femininity in a society that stifles women. As she navigates a world of social contracts and expectations while trying to remain true to her desires, Edna becomes increasingly isolated. One of the American South's first defining novels, THE AWAKENING is a heart-wrenching portrait of a woman struggling with her own identity.