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The Chaperone Audiobook
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(3.00) - 12,603 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Soon to be a feature film from the creators of Downton Abbey starring Elizabeth McGovern, The Chaperone is a New York Times-bestselling novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in the 1920s and the summer that would change them both.
Only a few years before becoming a famous silent-film star and an icon of her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita, Kansas, to study with the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone, who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle, a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip, has no idea what she’s in for. Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous black bob with blunt bangs, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will transform their lives forever.
For Cora, the city holds the promise of discovery that might answer the question at the core of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in this strange and bustling place she embarks on a mission of her own. And while what she finds isn’t what she anticipated, she is liberated in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of Cora’s relationship with Louise, her eyes are opened to the promise of the twentieth century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.
Drawing on the rich history of the 1920s, ’30s, and beyond—from the orphan trains to Prohibition, flappers, and the onset of the Great Depression to the burgeoning movement for equal rights and new opportunities for women—Laura Moriarty’s The Chaperone illustrates how rapidly everything, from fashion and hemlines to values and attitudes, was changing at this time and what a vast difference it all made for Louise Brooks, Cora Carlisle, and others like them.
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"The plot of this book is an egrossing story of a woman trying to trace her biological roots during the twenties when information of this type was very guarded and secretive. It is also the story of Louise Brooks a silent screen star and her rise to fame and fall from it. The book recreates the morals and fashions of the time creatively. Some events test the credibility of the reader and you wonder if this could really happen in those times, but the reader will find themselves carried away by the story as they read it."
— Lalla (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The Chaperone is the enthralling story of two women…and how their unlikely relationship changed their lives…In this layered and inventive story, Moriarty raises profound questions about family, sexuality, history, and whether it is luck or will—or a sturdy combination of the two—that makes for a wonderful life.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“In her new novel, The Chaperone, Laura Morirty treats this golden age with an evocative look at the early life of silent-film icon Louise Brooks, who in 1922 leaves Wichita, Kansas, for New York City in the company of thirty-six-year-old chaperone, Cora Carlisle…A mesmerizing take on women in this pivotal era.”
— Vogue -
“Devour it.”
— Marie Claire -
“A fun romp.”
— Good Housekeeping
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
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Selected for the June 2012 Indie Next List
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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A BookPage Book of the Day, June 2012
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A 2012 Washington Post Notable Book for Fiction
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A 2012 BookPage Best Book for Fiction
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A 2012 Kansas City Star Top 100 Book for Fiction
The Chaperone Listener Reviews
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" I enjoyed this book very much. Starts as a woman named Cora with grown children who agrees to chaperone a neighbors daughter to dance school in NYC for the summer. But you learn to story of Cora lives with all the heart ache and happiness. Had a hard time putting it down and cried at the end. "
— Beth, 2/10/2014 -
" Always enjoy hiustoric fiction, butI didn't anticipate giving this one a 5. I think I could read again. There is a lot to consider as sadness, twists, turns, secrets are revealed. The final paragraph is worth reading first...but don't!! "
— Theresa, 2/9/2014 -
" What fun! I had just finished reading 'Just One Day' where the main character met a boy who said she looked like Louise Brooks, so he called her Lulu---and then I started this book for my March book club and discovered that the main character is in charge of said Lulu! This is a well-developed tale with believable characters; setting is true to history, problems are solved in a believable manner, and the ending is satisfying. I will read another book by this author. "
— Kathy, 2/4/2014 -
" Great characters - great read "
— Patricia, 2/4/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book and thought overall it was well written. I really enjoy historical fiction and anything set in the 20's is always interesting to me. At times it felt like the author was telling two different stories - Cora's summer with Louise, and then the story of the rest of Cora's life, but in the end it came together to demonstrate the effect their short time together had on the remainder of their lives, "
— Kelly, 1/29/2014 -
" I liked it but didn't love it. Started out slow and ended a little slow but enjoyed the rest. "
— Laura, 1/28/2014 -
" I wanted more out of this book...skimmed it to get to the end. "
— Frances, 1/20/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this. I was a little disappointed that Louise Brooks didn't play a larger role but once I got over that, I really enjoyed the story. I thought the ending seemed drawn out but again, a good story about a chaperone. "
— Judy, 1/2/2014 -
" It was a slow read "
— Laney, 12/8/2013 -
" I listened to the audio recording of this book. It was a good book to listen to as I did other things. Interesting story but not too deep. "
— Karen, 12/7/2013 -
" Read it in one sitting and believed in Cora utterly. Was interesting to read up on Louise Brooks afterwards, but it's Cora's story that held me. "
— The, 7/17/2013 -
" What a great story! The changes in the main character of the book was interesting to follow along. "
— Heather, 6/16/2013 -
" Excellent! I really enjoyed this book - made better by the fact that Laura is a Kansas Author! "
— Suzi, 5/2/2013 -
" Mind-opening journey of heart-warming acceptance. "
— Anna, 3/1/2013 -
" Really 3.5 overall a good story but it did drag in parts. I enjoyed most of the book but it could have been a truly outstanding book with a little more editing. "
— Nancy, 1/1/2013 -
" Excellent book! I loved the mystery behind why the main character wanted to go to New York City, and all of the intricacies in the love stories were fantastic. "
— Elise, 12/11/2012 -
" This book was just okay. I felt that there were too many concurrent stories and some were underdeveloped and left unfinished. I did like the main storyline of our changing morality based on our life experiences and chance meetings . "
— Entcrnp, 10/20/2012 -
" I absolutely love well done historical fiction and 'The Chaperone' hit all the right notes. A wonderful and compelling story, great characters and perfect pacing. A true winner of a novel. "
— Cindy N., 8/15/2012 -
" Loved it... Good story, plot and characters. "
— Jenni, 8/15/2012 -
" I have to say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I also liked the format of this story. "
— Wendy, 8/7/2012 -
" This was such a well written story that is so rich with perfectly developed characters and fascinating history. It makes for a wonderful audio book and kudos to the narrator for giving it the treatment that it deserved. "
— Erika M., 8/2/2012 -
" This audiobook was a true pleasure to listen to. Not only is it a wonderfully crafted story with characters that you cannot help but to fall in love with but the reading by Elizabeth McGovern is absolutely top-notch. "
— B.D., 7/27/2012 -
" After reading all of the great reviews for this novel I immediately purchased it. I'm sorry to say that I was sorely disappointed. I just did not find it very interesting and felt that the author failed to draw me into the story. The ending didn't make much sense to me either as it was pretty unrealistic. "
— Mandy R., 7/13/2012 -
" A great story that's only marred by a few slow spots. Don't let that dissuade you from reading it though as they are mostly few and far between. "
— Erin L., 6/25/2012 -
" This is an absolutely captivating novel. It's well-written, fast-paced, and the plot and story are truly enthralling. This is truly the product of a brilliant author. "
— K.G., 6/21/2012 -
" Terrific book with lots of twists and turns, "
— Dorothy, 6/6/2012
About Laura Moriarty
Laura Moriarty is the New York Times bestselling author of The Center of Everything, The Rest of Her Life, The Chaperone, and other novels.
About Elizabeth McGovern
Elizabeth McGovern is a musician and actress best known for her role as Cora in the BBC’s Downton Abbey. She studied at Juilliard and San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater. She has been nominated for many awards for her acting, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has narrated numerous audiobooks and won two AudioFile Earphones Awards.