James M. Cain used his literary skills to incorporate business and business law concepts into a best-selling novel, "Mildred Pierce." Set in the Great Depression era, "Mildred Pierce" tells the story of a divorced woman who raises two daughters on her own, while building a restaurant and bakery business. Even in today's popular fiction, the character of a successful woman entrepreneur is uncommon enough. A successful businesswoman protagonist, such as Mildred Pierce, in a 1930s setting, was near revolutionary. The business law lessons to be taught by immersing the reader in Mildred's story, in particular the business lessons she learns, have rich applicability for today's students and teachers of business law.