The Chaperone
by Laura Moriarty, Fiction (Released June, 2012)
Bottom Line: Read it.
Summary: Based on an actual time in the adolescence of real life silent film star Louise Brooks, Cora, a proper matron from Wichita, accompanies a young and temperamental Brooks to New York City to train at the Denishawn School of Dancing and returns to Kansas a changed woman.
My Thoughts: I was a little surprised by this book. I went into it thinking it would focus on Cora and Louise’s tempestuous relationship and Cora’s efforts to rein in Louise’s mischief. However, it turned out to be much more about Cora and her quest to answer questions about her past than I expected. Cora has quite a life and I found her story unexpected and suspenseful, but I did wish Louise played an even bigger role in the book. She’s a total firecracker…although b*tch may be a better word…but, she certainly spices things up. I loved the historical fiction aspect of The Chaperone and the premise reminded me a bit of The Paris Wife (a fictional story based on a real time in Ernest Hemingway’s life). The Chaperone was set during Prohibition, a time when social mores were extremely prohibitive (think corsets and “chaperoned” dates with your “beau”), especially in somewhere like Wichita. But, the roaring 20’s are just around the corner and signs that times are changing (think shorter hemlines, women wearing make-up, the birth control movement, etc.) are everywhere, especially in New York. This book is a study in contrasts that illuminate these social dynamics: Cora vs. Louise, Wichita vs. New York, and Wichita at the beginning of the book vs. at the end. The judgmental social atmosphere also sets the stage for lots of scandal going on behind closed doors, adding more spice to the story. This is a fun, but incredibly interesting book that is going on my Book Club Recommendations List.