The Chaperone by Laura Moriarity

In 1922, silent film star Louise Brooks was just 15 and dying to leave provincial Wichita behind to dance in NYC.  When an opportunity arose to audition for a major dance company, she jumped at the chance and found herself under the control of  36 year old Cora.  From the very beginning it was clear that controlling Louise would be a difficult task at best but Cora had another reason for leaving her husband for six weeks and making the trip.  Thirty years ago she was one of thousands of abandoned children sent west on the Orphan Train.  Cora hoped to find the mother who had abandoned her.  Louise did get the chance to begin her dance and movie career but Cora's discovery was even more interesting.  When she returned to Wichita, Joseph, the custodian who had aided her search at the orphanage and his daughter were with her.   Both women challenged the mores of the Jazz Age.  Unexpectedly it was Cora who made the greater challenge.  Louise Brooks was a real person and she did begin her career under the care of a chaperone.  To the degree that the rest of this story is fiction, it is a fascinating look at the time and the role of women in it.