The Chaperone Summary
Laura Moriarty

The Chaperone Overview

The Chaperone, written by Laura Moriarty, is told from the third-person limited point of view by a narrator who has access to the thoughts and feelings of protagonist Cora Carlisle. The novel begins in 1920 with Cora, a society woman in Wichita, Kansas, agreeing to chaperone the wild, young dancer Louise Brooks in New York City for the summer. While in New York, Louise will be training with an elite dance company. The two arrive in the city, where stuffy Cora keeps a watchful eye over resentful Louise. Meanwhile, Cora is also hoping to spend her time in the city learning more about her mysterious family history as she was orphaned and later adopted. In the final section of the novel, Cora reflects on that summer as her life evolves. The story culminates with her death at a very old age.