The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

It’s 1922 and respectably married Cora chaperones a 15-year-old Louise Brooks to New York City for her multi-week training with and audition for the Denishawn School of Dancing. What Louise doesn’t know is that Cora’s earliest memories are of living in a home for girls in New York City and  has taken the position with a hope of finding out more about where she has come from. 

 

 

The Chaperone is not the story of Louise Brooks. She is a facilitator for the plot. Those facts that pertain to Brooks are incredibly well researched.  Brooks did, indeed, travel to New York City for the opportunity highlighted. Much of what we see of Brooks, through Cora’s sometimes judgmental and sometimes fond gaze, is based on deep research of the actresses own account of her past as well as research done by others. Though Brooks often comes off, in the story, as a bit of a caricature, there are moments when she shines as a fully realized character. 

As a look into history, The Chaperone discusses how rapidly standard, morals, and styles changed in the 20th century. Cora is many women in that she has a life that to the outside world seems ideal and aspirational. She and her lawyer husband, because we are in an era where your worth as a woman in entrenched in the man you managed to attract and the life you live with him, have twin boys that are headed off to college. They are above reproach in society but both have deep secrets that could damage them greatly. As someone who grew up in a fundamentalist Christian religion, I identified with Cora in that the smallest thing could bring judgement and isolation from one’s community. Morality in The Chaperone is often subjective as it is in life.

Though Cora knows how tentative her position could be, at the start of the story it doesn’t lead her to be more open minded. She sees the way that Louise acts as dangerous, and it is quite reckless. At the start of their association, Louise is a means to an end and not someone Cora especially likes or feels protective toward. Readers may find Cora pretty unlikable at first and they’ll find Louise a character of what we know of the actress. As stated, this is not the story of Louise Brooks but she does grow within the narrative with time, as does Cora. 

A flaw, I think, within the narrative is that it takes us through the course of Cora’s life. I think honing in on the events of the trip to New York City and maybe a short aftermath would make the story more cohesive. I can certainly see why the author made the choice she did. We are left with something of a major twist in the story and readers would want to know how it worked out. We also see Cora grow incrementally within that period and we follow up with Louise. That said, I would have rated the book higher without it. I did find it interesting to learn that Lysol was once advertised as birth control. A little yuck, but interesting.

The Chaperone is a worthwhile read. As a work of historical fiction, it is well done. The author conveys the time well and the real life character is very true within her known historical timeline. If you like historical fiction, pick The Chaperone up today. 

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The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Laura Lyons is a housewife in 1913 living with her family in an apartment in the New York Public Library where her husband is the superintendent. She enrolls in Columbia Journalism School and finds a new world outside of the library walls and herself where women have their own identity. When someone starts stealing rare books and her lifestyle is at risk, she has to make a choice.

Eighty years later, Laura’s granddaughter, Sadie, is hired as a curator at the New York Public Library. When rare books from an exhibit Sadie is setting up starts to go missing, Sadie starts to dig into the past and may not like what she finds.

 

Readers of my blog will know that I love historical fiction. I fully expected to be fangirling in this review when starting the book. The mystery, varied timelines, New York Public Library tie-in, sounds fascinating on paper. The paper on which it is fascinating is not the pages of this book. The Lions of Fifth Avenue is not the worst book I’ve ever read. It felt self-indulgent on the part of the author. Davis wanted this setting and timeline tie but the story and characters never really seemed to come together. This is the only book I’ve read by Fiona Davis so the rest of her books might be brilliant. Am I likely to find out? No. 

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Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson

Publication Date: August 26, 2008

 

Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott DavidsonIn Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson, caterer Goldy Schultz is setting up for a library holiday brunch when she thinks she sees Sandee Brisbane, the woman that killed her husband, in the stacks. The catch is that up until that moment, Goldy and everyone else thought that Sandee was dead. When a former D.A. is found dead, Goldy is pulled into a murder mystery that seems focused on sweet revenge. Sweet Revenge is a mystery novel that includes ten recipes.

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Mardan’s Mark: Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventure Series by Kathrese McKee

Publication Date: March 26, 2015

 

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Princess Srilani’s brothers, one of whom is the crown prince, and sisters are kidnapped by pirates and taken to hostile territory. The Princess enlists the help Aldan and his gang of slaves to head into an against-the-odds adventure to free the captives.

 

 

 

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For Us The Living: Judgment Day by R.A. Peters

Publication Date: September 8, 2015

 

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In [easyazon_link identifier=”B016E5JDKC” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]For Us The Living: Judgment Day[/easyazon_link] an electromagnetic pulse hits the Earth leaving it in an apocalyptic state. Sergeant Danielle Walker goes from a special ops mission in the Middle East to fighting an unknown force. Her husband, Dixon, knew this day would come but even his preparation might not be enough to weather the end of this world.

 

 

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Broken Banners by Mark Gelineau and Joe King

Publication Date: February 15, 2016

 

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Elinor is a lieutenant in the Kings Army when she finds her fellow soldiers slaughtered outside of the city gates. She embarks on a quest of justice.

 

[easyazon_link identifier=”B01AKTACDK” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Broken Banners[/easyazon_link] is the second book in the Reaper of Stone; An Echo of the Ascended series.

 

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A Hint of Magic: A Paranormal Comedy Series by Claire Chilton

Publication Date: January 8, 2014

 

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Dora Carradine is sick of life as a good girl and decides to rebel against her religious upbringing by joining a witch’s coven. When Dora discovers that the dark side is even darker than she could have imagined, she has some difficult choices to make.

 

 

 

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Ready to Were: Shift Happens Series Book One by Robyn Peterman

Publication Date: November 25, 2014

 

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Essie is hot and a WTF (Werewolf Treaty Federation) happening agent working in Chicago when she’s asked to return to her hometown of Hung Island, Georgia to investigate a case of missing werewolves. When Essie packs her bags in the middle of the night and leaves town and a cheating ex behind, she never expected to see them again. Essie must solve the case quickly and avoid some very attractive demons from her past. [easyazon_link identifier=”0989496082″ locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Ready To Were: Shift Happens Series Book One (Volume 1)[/easyazon_link] is the first novel in the Shift Happens Series.

 

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The Clock Strikes Midnight by Joan C. Curtis

Publication Date: November 25, 2014

 

In The Clock Strikes Midnight by Joan C. Curtis, Janie KThe Clock Strikes Midnight by Joan C. Curtisnox is living a happy life with her partner in Savannah when she discovers that she only has a few months left to live. Time is short and Janie must face the past by returning to Atlanta to tie up the loose ends of the past. Will she reconnect with the sister she abandoned and will she be able to face off with her mother’s killer and do what must be done before time runs out?

 

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The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington and Barbara Brannon

Publication Date: August 30, 2014

 

The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington and Barbara BrannonIn The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington and Barbara Brannon, Dee Kaufman’s mother is injured in a car accident and Dee must return to the tiny Texas town in which she was raised to help her recover. Working against a make or break literary deadline, Dee must care for her mother while struggling with the eternal question. Can you go home again?

 

 

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