A feminist before such a term was created and most famous for The Awakening, the controversial Kate Chopin was also the author of a second novel, At Fault, as well as numerous short stories.

This reference book begins with a brief introduction to Kate Chopin's varied background and her fictional work. A chronology traces the main events of her private and professional lives. Hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries follow, summarizing the plots of her novels and short stories, identifying her fictional characters, and relating them to her own experiences, to her family members and to her friends. Many entries include bibliographical citations.