The Chaperone (Laura Moriarty)

This historical novel tracks the real-life story of Laura Brooks, Hollywood silent-film star and famous wild girl, from the perspective of a fictional character. When Laura was 15 she had the opportunity to study dance in NYC under the condition that she travel with a chaperone. History says very little about who this chaperone was, so the author imagined Cora, giving her a back story involving the New York orphan trains. Cora is a wonderful heroine, brave and tolerant and caring. I enjoyed being in her head as she confronted and overcame the prejudices of her time and culture to bring love and joy to the people around her. In places the plot seemed a little too pat, with some people's decisions motivated more by the author's decisions than the characters', but for me it all worked. The writing is clear and compelling, though the atmosphere and environments are not as well drawn as the people are. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or is interested in the changes in society from the 1920s to the 1960s.