Kate Chopin (1850-1904) is an American author of mixed Irish Catholic and Louisiana Creole heritage, famous for her portrayals of women's lives. Born to a wealthy mercantile slave-owning family in St. Louis, Missouri, Chopin was raised in a household run entirely by women after her father died in a train accident when she was only five years old. Chopin's great-grandmother, Mme. Charleville, was particularly influential: she taught the young Chopin music and French and shared scandalous tales with her.
Chopin's elder half-brother, George, fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Chopin became well-known in her community for her devotion to the Confederate cause:...
