This 19th Century Book is Considered the Book of Louisiana
I'm shocked that a book about Mardi Gras wasn't chosen for this list.
Last week, we told you about a movie that truly captures the spirit of Louisiana. It was on a list called the "United States of Movies" put out by Entertainment Weekly. They chose A Streetcar Named Desire as Louisiana's movie.
Now it's only fair that we look at books to play the same role.
This list was put out by Travel and Leisure. Apparently there has been a book that has been written about each state across the country. Not a single state has been left out of a story line in the history of literature anywhere from children's books to contemporary fiction. There's power in that.
When it comes to Louisiana, they traveled back to the 19th century and found The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. Published in 1899, this story is set in the 1890s on an island near New Orleans. It's the story of young woman, Edna Pontellier, who no longer wants to live the life she has been given so she sheds social norms and sets off on her own. She is then romanced by Robert Lebrun, a womanizer, and subsequently falls in love with him.
If you want to dive into a piece of feminist history, you'll have to grab a copy.