Desiree's Baby

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin is a tragic short story about Désirée, a young woman of uncertain parentage who is adopted by the Valmondé family and later marries the wealthy plantation owner Armand Aubigny. Their happiness collapses after the birth of their child, when Armand becomes convinced that the baby shows signs of Black ancestry and blames Désirée, treating her with cruelty and rejection. Devastated, Désirée leaves with the child and disappears into the bayou, while Armand burns her belongings in an attempt to erase her memory. In the final twist, he discovers a letter from his mother revealing that it is he, not Désirée, who has Black ancestry. The story exposes the brutality of racism, patriarchy, pride, and social status in the antebellum South.