Reader's Ink discussion

In recent years, more and more novels feature real-life people as fictional characters (we've even read a few in this club). How did you like the inclusion of Louise Brooks in The Chaperone? She played a relatively minor role as compared to, say, Louisa May Alcott in March. Did you feel the use of a real-character was necessary to tell the story within The Chaperone?

It wasn't until I was finished with the book and started reading some different reviews that I learned that Louisa was a real-life person. Wish I had known it before, however I don't think it would have changed my opinion of the book.

I knew Louise was a real person and almost wish Ms. Moriarty had opted to create a fictional character that was heavily based off of Ms. Brooks - I feel like she could have done more with the story if she hadn't been limited by Ms. Brooks's actual life. For example, I think they could have stretched out the time in New York (the whole reason I wanted to read the book!).