The Chaperone

By: Laura Moriarty

Narrated by: Elizabeth McGovern

Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

The Chaperone is a captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both.

Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a 15-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big 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 is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip. She has no idea what she’s in for: Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous blunt bangs and black bob, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever.

For Cora, New York holds the promise of discovery that might prove an answer to the question at the center of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in a strange and bustling city, she embarks on her own mission. And while what she finds isn’t what she anticipated, it liberates her in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of the summer, Cora’s eyes are opened to the promise of the 20th century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.

©2012 Laura Moriarty (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Thoughtful and Interesting

If you could sum up The Chaperone in three words, what would they be?

Thoughtful Real Characters

Who was your favorite character and why?

The chaperone herself, because she had to take her own character in hand, and decide consciously how she would think about things, evaluate things, and form her own, independent opinions. She was very admirable, and yet very real to the times.

What about Elizabeth McGovern’s performance did you like?

Her accents were pretty spot on, and differentiated from character to character, making dialog very easy to follow. Good pace

A fascinating and amazing woman of her time

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book because it provides a unique view of history and world events from the eyes of a New York City orphan / Kansas farm girl.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Chaperone?

As Cora ages, she becomes worldwise and her compassion continues to grow, It was incredibly touching at Allen's funeral, when she embraces Raymond.

Which character – as performed by Elizabeth McGovern – was your favorite?

Cora

Almost great

Would you listen to The Chaperone again? Why?

I'm really on the fence about this book. I didn't like the voice for the main character, I thought it was performed strangely. I really liked the time period of the book, the story, the place, but I strongly disagreed with the immoral messages the book wove into the book.

Would you recommend The Chaperone to your friends? Why or why not?

It is NEVER okay to cheat on your spouse, regardless of your sexual orientation. It's wrong, period. SPOILER: I hate that this was a main theme throughout the book. It made me sick that she just accepted this as "who he was" instead of wrong that he was married to her and cheating on her.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Elizabeth McGovern?

Probably, but I really didn't like how she did the main character's voice.

If you could take any character from The Chaperone out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The young actress, I'm curious to see what she would be like, you never know what you might get and there is a lot under the surface. I'd be interested in seeing her work her beauty and charm.

Well-done historical

Interesting story of two midwestern women, the housewife and the movie star to-be in 1920's New York City. Cora is well realized and the locations are detailed. Ending drags on a bit long. Elizabeth McGovern is wonderful, some people didn't agree with her accents but I didn't have any issues with that.

Whoa!!

Any additional comments?

What a story! I must be one of Audibles best customers, with hundreds of books in my library and this one has just entered into my "all time favorites list".
Ranking up there with The Help, Ready Player One, and Roots!
Read it, read it... Read it!
You won't be sorry.

kept the interest but seemed to lack something

Where does The Chaperone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

better than half way

What other book might you compare The Chaperone to and why?

none so far. its own special story and characters

Did Elizabeth McGovern do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

yes she did. she changed her voice. i think that she could have read a touch quicker

If you could take any character from The Chaperone out to dinner, who would it be and why?

NA. this is a dumb question

Any additional comments?

i would say this book was well written. some historical research must have been done and it had enough forbidden detail to make it interesting. i enjoyed it very much. my criticism would be that it could have been condensed at the end and read faster. i recommend this book

Jess's (NJ) comment about "the English lilt"

Would you consider the audio edition of The Chaperone to be better than the print version?

Not necessarily. I LOVE listening to all my Audible books on tapes, but Elizabeth Montgomery's "lilt" is not so much an English lilt (as Jess from NJ complained) as I think her pronunciations are typical of extensive elocution lessons. And I found her pronunciations annoying. PAIRents (with a sort or rolling r, as the Irish might pronounce it) -- KLEEN with a big emphasis on the "CL" sound -- and PLEEEEZED -- Tyewsday, instead of Tuesday ---- NYEWS, instead of news -- a NYEW dress -- does it SYEWT you, instead of "does it suit you" (said as we Americans say suit ---- countless examples. The way she says "turn" -- and "return" -- ewww. It's just quite annoying to listen to, really. But it's a really good story, and I adore Elizabeth McGovern in Downton Abbey. The elocution works well in Downton Abbey... But I'd like to hear someone else narrate this, honestly. How about Susan Sarandon -- how about Julianne Moore. Anyone really.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Chaperone?

I loved how wonderful the Kaufman's were to Cora. I liked how the janitor decided to help her. I'm still listening at this point.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I described this above.

Who was the most memorable character of The Chaperone and why?

I think the chaperone.

Any additional comments?

A very good story.

Sad history in our great America

If you’ve never heard of Orphan Trains this is a story of one lady’s journey from the train and back to find her roots as she helps another find herself. Heart wrenching. #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Loved this book.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Great narration. Wonderful story. Loved the time period and the evolution of the characters, especially the main character. She grows so much. We all put on this persona to the outside world, but you never really know what goes on inside the house when the doors are closed. I highly recommend this book.

loved this novel

I chose this title for my book group. We all enjoyed it very much. I especially appreciated how the story touched on many of the earlier struggles for women and contraception.