Mary Flannery O’Connor was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories. O’Connor was a Southern writer who often wrote in a sardonic Southern Gothic style. She relied heavily on regional settings and grotesque characters, often in violent situations. O’Connor’s writing often reflects her Catholic faith, and frequently examines questions of morality and ethics. Her posthumously compiled Complete Stories won the 1972 U.S. National Book Award for Fiction and has been the subject of enduring praise.