My life at the princess’s court had become deadly dull. All the time I was in training, I had kept myself going by imagining the wonderful rescues I would perform, the great deeds I would do, winning admiration and renown. In real life, at the castle, nothing like that ever happened. When the novelty of being there wore off, what was left? An endless round of rising, eating, sitting around on duty in the throne room, eating, following the princess about from here to there, eating, and for variety, sleeping. And so on and so on, day after day. I wished so much for a more exciting life, to go my own way and have adventures, as many as I pleased. I would show Gualthier how skilled I really was, and stop him from laughing at me! But adventure came on its own, unbidden and unexpected. Skilled or unskilled, I would have to meet whatever life placed in my way.

Rinette Leslie of Granmuir has the ancient gift of divining the future in flowers, but her gift cannot prepare her for the turmoil that comes when the dying queen regent entrusts her with a casket full of Scotland's darkest secrets. On the very day she means to deliver it to newly crowned Mary, Queen of Scots, Rinette's husband is brutally assassinated. Devastated, Rinette demands justice before she will surrender the casket, but she is surrounded by ruthless men who will do anything to possess it. In the end, the flowers are all she can trust-and only the flowers will lead her safely home to Granmuir.

Chronicles the life of American author Kate Chopin and discusses how her novel "The Awakening" was viewed by society when it was first published, why she is considered a feminist, how her personal life influenced her writing, and other related topics.

A collection of critical essays on Kate Chopin's work.