I love the 1920s and historical fiction so this book was right up my alley. Moriarty does a great job of capturing 1922 in both the midwest and NYC through a woman's point of view. This point of view is seen mostly through Cora Carlise, a woman living in the small town of Witchita married to a lawyer named Alan with two sons. When she hears a young dancer in the neighborhood, Louise Brooks, is traveling to New York City for the summer and needs a chaperone, she volunteers. Why? Because she was once at an orphanage there before she was put on a train, sent out to the midwest, and put into a family. Cora is determined to find out who her parents were and where she truly came from. 
 The relationship with Cora and Louise is strained at best. Louise represents the new way of thinking (short hair, short skirts, drinking regardless of prohibition) and Cora still wears corsets and tells Louise things like not wanting a piece of candy already opened (a man won't want a woman already touched). Cora goes into the trip thinking she knows the right way to live but ends up coming away from the trip with a totally different perspective. 
 I loved the section of the book with Cora and Louise in New York. Such a page turner. The reason I refrane from giving this book a 5th star is because when Cora returns to Kansas, the pacing of the book speeds up dramatically without really leaving time to dwell on what has happened. I still read the book with interest and enjoyed it, but it all felt a bit rushed to me. Also, I was disappointed that Louise became more of an afterthought than a character the reader should care about. While I was fascinated with Cora's story, Louise was just as fascinating. I guess the author could only do so much. 
 Any lover of the 20s will really enjoy this book. FYI Louise Books is actually a real person and I recommend looking up a picture of her while you're reading -- she really was that interesting to look at.