3. The Awakening by Kate Chopin and books that feature feminine self-discovery

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about</span> <a href= "https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780199536948"><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Awakening</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">by Kate Chopin</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">. This novella published in 1899 follows Edna Pontellier as she discovers her desires and her identity outside of wifehood and motherhood. Our discussion includes how this book illustrates the constraints placed on 19th century women, why we don’t seem to have any issues with the infidelity in the novel, and how Kate Chopin speaks to modern-day mom-shaming. We also dig into some of the problematic content in this book and offer suggestions on how to read it through a more modern lens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic include a young adult novel full of evocative nature imagery and a closed door second chance romance.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today’s episode is brought to you by Libro.fm, the only audiobook company that allows you to purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite indie bookstore. You can get THREE audiobooks for $15 by clicking</span> <a href= "http://libro.fm/redeem/NOVELPAIRINGS"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">this link</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">or by using code NOVELPAIRINGS at checkout.</span></p> <p><br /> <br /></p> <h4><strong>Books, Pairings, and Time Stamps</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Books Discussed:</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Awakening</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Modern Library Torchbearers Edition (23:50),</span> <a href= "https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780143106494"><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Madame Bovary</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">by Gustave Flaubert</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">(30:36),</span> <a href= "https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780143035008"><em><span style= "