Before she wrote The Awakening — a powerful novel that has illuminated generations of readers with its strikingly honest and controversial themes of female sexuality and miscegenation--Kate Chopin penned many well-received short stories of Creole and Acadian life. Infused with "local color," these tales are filled with fascinating characters, idiosyncratic customs, and sometimes shocking details.

Reflecting the influences of the French writers Guy de Maupassant and George Sand, "Lilacs" is a heartfelt and simple tale of love, life, and devotion. The compelling work is accompanied by 23 other distinctive tales of southern life, among them "A No-Account Creole" and "Love on the Bon-Dieu," from Bayou Folk, and "A Matter of Prejudice," "The Lilies," and "Dead Men's Shoes" from A Night in Acadie.