I simply loved this book! It was full of suprises, layer by layer!

I wouldn't recommend The Chaperone. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had known the history behind it. She seemed to cover too much in the book. Then rushed through the end. I kept waiting for a point to the book but didnt ever get one.

This book had a wonderful, engaging start but disappointed at the half. The plot lost focus and rambled on.

Our book club talked a lot about comparisons today to changes, and those that Cora went through during her long life from the 1920s to the 1970s. Also, the statement in the book that surrounding yourself with young people help you stay vibrant, and helps keep your mind open to new ideas.

Part history, part romance, and it shows human frailty. Children who were sent out west on trains have stories to tell and I enjoyed reading this one.

It is 1922, Cora Carlisle, happily married in Wichita, but facing an empty nest, decides to be a chaperone for 15 year old Louise Brooks on her trip to New York City, where she will study with a renowned dance teacher for the summer. Cora’s husband, Alan, prefers that she doesn’t go; but he gives his consent. Louise Brooks is hoping to be invited to join the dance company so she may continue to train for a professional life.
The book begins during the time of prohibition, of racial prejudice and inequality, of homophobia, and of rigid rules governing women’s behavior. Their dress is prim, they don’t smoke in public, they rarely work and if financially able, they entertain themselves doing charity work, needlework, raising a family and maintaining their homes.
Louise is the daughter of a not very maternal mother, who would have preferred no children and would like to live vicariously through her daughter, and a father who often mocks her achievements. Although she is young, intelligent and an accomplished dancer, she is also willful, defiant, disobedient and promiscuous.
Cora was an orphan. She was brought up by nuns for the first few years of her life under strict and rigid guidance. When she is taken from the orphanage and sent to Ohio by the Children’s Aid Society, she begins a new life, with a loving family. When a dreadful accident takes her new parents from her, she is once again set adrift, but by now, she is a teenager and capable of being on her own. A lawyer comes to her aid, pro bono, when her ability to inherit is questioned by the other children from her adoptive father’s former marriage. Alan Carlisle not only helps her get what is rightfully hers, but he marries her, as well. His family embraces her despite her uncertain past and heritage, but requests that it be kept secret. Cora soon learns that her relationship with her husband will be a challenging one.
On the train trip to New York, chaperoning Louise, Cora is immediately put to the test. Louise disobeys her and sneaks off. Cora tries to be amenable, not judgmental, but her patience is often tried on this trip and on their brief stay in New York. Louise likes to push the envelope and her lack of prudence will often do her in and have a negative effect on her future life.
When she gets to New York, in addition to chaperoning Louise, Cora wants to try and find her roots. She knows nothing of her family. When she visits the orphanage where she spent her early years, The Home for Friendless Girls, to try and find out information about her background, she meets the German handyman, Joseph. Because of circumstances beyond his control, Joseph finds himself penniless, and he and his daughter now live in the same orphanage, where he works in exchange for his and her room and board.
While in New York, Cora learns far more from Louise’s willfulness than Louise learns from Cora’s rigid rules. Louise’s openness exposes Cora’s mind to a different world, including the freedom of the city and a more independent lifestyle. Although she is shocked by Louise’s behavior, she is also thrilled by the new things she is discovering.
When Louise is accepted by the studio and leaves to study dance more seriously, Cora returns home to Wichita. She brings with her, two guests, Joseph and his daughter Greta. He is supposedly her long, lost widower brother and her young niece.
The nine plus decades we travel with Cora are filled with enlightenment and change. Her children grow up, another war occurs, love blossoms in the strangest of places, racial equality improves, homophobia is no longer acceptable, prohibition ends, birth control becomes common place and strict rules of morality are reversed.
The novel, based on the very real life of the beautiful Mary Louise Brooks, an accomplished dancer and movie star, almost feels like a coming of age story for Cora, the very sheltered adult, not Louise, who has been exposed to far too much abuse and far too little attention and guidance, as she takes pleasure in moving beyond accepted limits. Perhaps it is also the coming of age story of a town, a country and a people, learning how to be more humane; perhaps it is even the coming of age story of the world, as it opens up and begins to accept more equality for all.

There is very little depth here.

I enjoyed the story: it was a woman\'s realization that she was in control of her destiny.

I loved this book, as did everyone in the club. What I loved most is the author\'s ability to put so much information into such a small space without it becoming confusing or boring. It stayed fresh and terribly interesting, you were always waiting for something new. It was always relevant to the story. Another difficult task to master is adding a character for a very short time, (like Cora\'s birth mother) she fleshed her out perfectly and the reader got a perfect picture of what she was like and who that woman was and the world she lived in. She didn\'t go on and on her words were spare but she pegged her to at T. She was able to do that with all of her characters and situations. This is genius writing. Dickens could do it, Austen as well.
The author also nailed the feeling of whatever era she was describing and one never felt one had to \"mentally catch up\" with the surroundings as the book progressed. I have read many books that I have enjoyed but not one lately that was a well written and should be a classic.

I really liked the book from the very start. Interesting about the orphanage run by the nuns. The orphan train and the placing of children. The whole story was interesting from beginning to end and all the secrets kept throughout.

Cora and Louise have lifechanging experiences in NY.
Since it is the 1920's, I was a little surprised by Cora's decisions. Most women just suffered in silence in those days. Very satisfying read.

Interesting characters. Nice prose. Good for book club discussion.

Our club found this book to be interesting and well-written. It was important to remember the time period as you read. We loved getting to know the real Cora!

thought this might be a bit boring--a biography of a celebrity. But it wasn't about celebrity--it was about the quiet lives that mean much more than those of celebrities

Great book. A little Kansas history, a little history on Louise Brooks and a lot to think about with regards judging others, you never know their real story. Really enjoyed the characters and Ms. Moriarty's writing style.

Nice balance between the historical and the fiction.

I'm always impressed when a fiction book has an impressive bibliography. Moriarty really did her research for this book. I know very little about Louise Brooks and enjoyed getting acquainted with her. Cora's Orphan Train experience was accurately described.

Our book club decided Ms. Moriarty used the main character & story to show a period of women's rights issues. The history was interesting, and we liked some of the characters. However, we felt the story was a bit too choppy & little "neat & pat." She dropped some developments only to pick up others and only briefly summarize events. We felt the story would have moved better if she'd delved more deeply into some situations or characters instead of trying to cover a huge swath of history. Because she used such a broad brush coverage, some situations seemed to fit too neatly into her plot & left us feeling like the character wouldn't have really behaved that way or things wouldn't have necessarily played out that way. In other words, many facets were not believable. However, we did generally like the book and learn some things from it, particularly about the orphan train & some women's issues, like the use of Lysol.

Our library book club read this book. I had no idea that Louise was a real life person. The chaperone, however, is the FICTION part of this story. The secrets and lies keep the reader intrigued. I found myself wanting to learn HOWEVER WILL THIS END?

The book covers the entire life of Cora X, from her days as an orphan, her time in New York City as a chaperone for Louise Brooks, to the end of her life. During her journey she discovers many things about herself and her sense of purpose. She is a loyal and loving woman

I got attached to Cora and wanted the best for her-the book follows her and lets you know what happens to her for the rest of her life. Also, follows the career of Louise Brooks very closely.

A very good book. It may have tried a little to hard to display a liberal/progressive perspective, but still very interesting. There were a few surprises in this one.

Thie book is hard to put down. very good for summer reading! Especially if you like historical fiction! It has a plot which could have really happened. I hope they make a movie out of it!

The book group felt that was the best book we have read because of the dynamics between louis brooks and Cora(the chaperone). Plus the many topics covered including the orphan trains, homosexuality. etc. a well-written book and one that could not be put down.

Beginning was great and then it dropped off half way through.

A lot of discussion on this book, even to the point of outside exploration! It is surprising how many secrets can be kept and many wondered if that would remain so today. Great book with nice tie-ins to previous reads.

Laura Moriarty provided us with lots of discussion - but not on Cora, \\\"The Chaperone\\\", but rather on Louise Brooks the silent film and dance star. I along with Eileen found that really interesting. Laura did provide plenty of conversation on family, Prohibition, which Sharon informed us lasted a very long 13 years, race, with the play that Cora and Louise went to see and were surrounded by black patrons, lewd cohabitation, Raymond and Alan, Cora and Joseph, what would the neighbors have said if they knew, homosexuality and the difficulty to the point of jail time if found out and the ruin of your family, contraceptives and how it was not even acceptable for the married woman to use them much less the unmarried woman and also morality with so many secrets and lies that had to be told. It makes my heart so sad to think about the lives they lived. I know there were good times, but I still believe \\\"The Truth Will Set You Free.\\\" The point is at what cost? Louise was certainly the come-back kid. When Louise left Denishawn Dance, Flo Ziegfeld offered Louise a place with his glorified American girls and it was while working for him that a Paramount scout saw her and asked for a screen test where she was successful with one of her most famous pictures \\\"Canary Murder Case.\\\" Louise did finally venture into matrimony with Eddie Sutherland, a film director. Later they divorced and she married Deering Davis, Chicago sportsman in 1933 and then later separated. (Some of this material I found in The Wichita Eagle newspaper dated 1937).

The Chaperone is a good story of Cora's life from NYC to Wichita Kansas. Cora grows and ages interestingly.

Cora, while chaperoning fifteen year old Louise Brooks in NYC, discovers the truth about her past which frees her to choose an enlightened future full of fulfillment surrounded by those she loved, despite the secrets she must keep to prevent the condemnation of society.

We liked the book. It had historical details from a time we had not thought a lot about. It led to a good discussion about women and about being gay back in the 1920's.

It was okay. It was interesting. I was more interested in the secondary character that the main character.

I liked that there were so many social issues of the 1920's covered in this book. I liked that it was a special kind of "love", caring, kindness story. Early on we learn that the narrator tells the story of 1922 from the perspective of age.

an insiightful and thought provoking book on many levels. Womens issues, sexuality, homosexuality at the turn of last century. Orphan trains, and plight of unwed mothers- as well as a charming story of good intentions and positive growth