Out of the Easy
“A haunting peek at the life of a teenage girl in 1950s New Orleans.”--Entertainment Weekly
It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.
Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.
Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.
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Community Reviews
It is 1950's in New Orleans and the French Quarter is full of secrets. Josie is the daughter of a prostitute, Louise, and works in a bookshop and also cleans the brothel each morning turning over left behind items to the madame, Willie. Josie wants more for herself; she dreams of going to an elite college on the east coast but when a murder happens in the quarter on NYE, she becomes entangled in a police investigation and her loyalty to her mother, Willie, and her own conscience. This book is full of colorful characters, vivid descriptions, secrets and lies and the reminder that we can shape our own destiny.
4.5 stars! This is my first Ruta Sepetys book, and I'm a fan! I love well-researched historical fiction with great characters and a storyline that keeps me reading, ignoring all other distractions. I picked this one up to read on a trip to New Orleans, and it was the perfect read to enhance my trip! I loved that Josie was brave. She didn't depend on others, taking charge of her own situation despite how badly the odds were stacked against her. This is definitely a novel that should be a movie. I want to see these characters come to life!
Loved these characters. Slight mystery woven throughout but not the focus. I loved how she presented these people and their lives.
I really enjoyed this one and appreciate how Sepetys handled the ending. It was unexpected but stayed true to each character.
я может чего не понимаю, но где история? дочь проститутки очень хочет в колледж, хочет-хочет, всю книгу хочет, и тут в конце получает наследство - победа! серьезно, так можно было? и за это у нее четыре звезды совокупного рейтинга?
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