Search - The Chaperone

A glimpse into the past and a look at New York City before the depression through two completely different eyes. There is Cora who has been asked to be a chaperone, but this trip to New York City is more than the task at hand, it will take her back in time to a past that she has been trying to figure out. Louise is a young ingenue who wants to become a celebrity in theatre and film, her big break takes her from Wichita, Kansas to New York City.

I absolutely adored being able to see the change in times in both of these women's eyes. Although the book is told through Cora's eyes, the reader is given enough information to understand what Louise is thinking with how the world is evolving around her. The change in hemline is more than a fashion trend, it is also a change in the culture of women and how they will perceive themselves differently. I loved the strong female characters who were trying to figure out how they would fit within the changing times.

A historical fiction that didn't feel dated, which is my kind of read! I would recommend this book to the reader who is a little weary about historical fiction, an entertaining story that could take place at anytime.

This novel centers around Cora Carlisle, who volunteers to chaperone the surly, self-absorbed Louise Brooks in NYC for a month while Lauren auditions for a renown dance troupe. Cora has ulterior motives in leaving Wichita, and this journey becomes a springboard for both of them into different life paths. Set in the 1920's, the tone of the book seems to be in keeping with the societal mores and restrictions of the time. Laura Moriarty has written a pitch-perfect book with well-developed characters, and the plot is absorbing from beginning to end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely novel. The story is interesting and well told and I liked the way it went back & forth between past & present, it was easy to follow. I found it to be a really cool look at human nature and it has gotten me interested in this phase of history. Highly recommended.

I debated whether to give the book 3 or 4 stars. I was set on 3 but then changed my mind. I like a well tidied up conclusion and the story ended very satisfyingly.

Now, going back to the story, I loved Cora’s character and her beginnings had me turning the pages very fast, I wanted to learn what would become of her life after she was placed out.

I enjoyed the description of the times she lived and I could see and feel the tight moral atmosphere of the era. That was well done.

I did find it odd how Cora with all of her strict morale and social conventions and beliefs quickly began to adapt to the changing waves of the fast approaching modern times and the wave of economical social upheaval. I found hard to comprehend how that can happen so fast but then I remind myself the book did span her lifetime. I grew up with grandmothers and aunts who were very strict and “old fashioned” as Cora was and they are still that way sans the corset so I found that interesting.

In the end, I decided for the 4 stars, I am not a book critic nor do I intend to be. I enjoyed the book very much and found it very engaging.