I cannot remember a book that has captivated me from beginning to end, and then left me lying awake in bed thinking of its characters who, for the previous eight hours, were the most important people in my sphere.
Then I read a review that called Laura Moriarty's "The Chaperone" a historical novel and I thought, "Why yes, that's exactly what it was," but she painted the words so masterfully that I didn't realize I was reading the history of relationships in the United States of America. I thought I was reading about one woman's life, Cora's, and her journey from New York to Kansas and back again in search of herself, her identity.
On the contrary, Cora's journey is an avatar of many who forged through love, pain, suffering, and breaking free from the bondage of societal dictations to be true to themselves and their own hearts.
You're left wondering: was it really 1960-something when birth control became legal in the United States? How many forbidden lovers existed in an era when love was straight (literally)? It becomes apparent quickly that "The Chaperone" isn't just Cora's story, but that of hundreds, thousands.
Pick it up. Read it. Be mesmerized.
"I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own."
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