The Chaperone

The Chaperone (2012) by Laura Moriarty. In 1922, a 15-year-old Louise Brooks, escorted by Cora Carlisle, 36, sets out from Wichita to journey to New York City to enroll in a dance school. Louise has her sights set on a show business career, and she will succeed. Cora has her own reasons for going to New York, and her own life will take off in new directions after the trip. One thing about this book that really captivates the reader is that Louise Brooks is a real person -- she was a silent-film star in the 1920s and even made films into the '30s, until her career flamed out. Books have been written about her, and she even wrote a memoir called Lulu in Hollywood. Another thing about the book that is arresting is the story of Cora, unexpectedly colorful and full of strange events that one would never imagine happening in the 1920s. Cora's story, of course, is fiction, but it meshes seamlessly with Louise's true story; taken together, they make for fascinating reading. This novel is highly recommended. Grade: A