I have to admit that when I start reading a book, I have a “100 page rule”. If the book hasn’t grabbed my attention and pulled me in by that point, I figure it never will. With Laura Moriarty’s The Chaperone, my rule was totally unnecessary!
Immediately I wanted to learn more about thirty-six year old Cora Carlisle – the chaperone to aspiring fifteen year old dancer and actress Louise Brooks in New York City during the 1920’s. These women travel from Wichita, Kansas by train to spend the summer with the Denishawn dance troupe. Little did Cora know, but the summer would change both of their lives forever.
Moriarty does an amazing job setting each scene and luring the reader in. I found myself nearly crying when learning about parts of Cora’s childhood, angry when I learned secrets about her marriage, and irritated with her return to Kansas. At the same time, I was annoyed that Louise was an unappreciative teen who thought the rules didn’t apply to her.
The 1920’s was a period of great change for our country – and for women. Hemlines were going up and down, women were leaving their husbands, prohibition was in full force {Cora loved that Kansas was a dry state!} and we were on the verge of war.
I imagine that living in that time period was a struggle for all women, regardless of age. How can you pursue your bliss when you’re faced with such judgement from all directions?
Want to learn more about Cora and Louise? Head over to The Chaperone page of the BlogHer BookClub and join in the conversation!
Disclosure: This post was written as part of participation in the BlogHer BookClub. I received a copy of the book in exchange for writing this post. However, all thoughts, views, and opinions are my own and have not been influenced by BlogHer or the author. This post contains affiliate links
