Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Reviewed by Lori
Out of the Easy
Title: Out of the Easy

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 79289

Description: Josie, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a French Quarter prostitute, is striving to escape 1950 New Orleans and enrol at prestigious Smith College when she becomes entangled in a murder investigation.

Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It!

Why I Read It: I read Ruta Sepetys other novel, Between Shades of Gray, and I really liked her style of writing.  I also really liked the cover.  (This cover is not the same as the book I read, the cover I have has a girl looking through an ornate bird cage.  I prefer the other cover as I felt it portrayed more about the story than the one pictured above.  It drew to mind Maya Angelou's poem "Caged Bird").

Lori's Notes: Josie "Jo" Moraine, is 17 and lives in New Orleans but wants nothing more than to escape the city and her life.  Jo's mother is a prostitute in the Quarter and she has no idea who her father is.  At 7-years-old, Jo is introduced to Willie, the madam where her mother works, and quickly shows her wit and intelligence, and her absolute lack of desire to follow in her mother's footsteps.  Jo has had to take care of herself for a long time, but is also cared for by the many people surrounding her.  Jo has a job cleaning the brothel each morning, and we meet characters like Sweety, Dora, and Evangeline.  Jo returns to the bookstore for the afternoon where she works with Patrick.  Patrick's father Charlie, who we discover is very ill, arranged for Jo to have a room of her own above the shop when she was 11 - giving the girl a life outside her mother's grasp.  Jo's story is intricately woven within the fabric of New Orleans and the lives of the various characters in the Quarter.  Jo is informed that "Cincinatti" has returned to town.  A real rotten scoundrel, who her mother loves despite the fact that he has brutally abused her in the past.  Jo works hard and is smart and wants to get out of New Orleans by going to College.  Willie, who has a cold exterior but warm heart, doesn't want Jo to leave New Orleans, but does believe that Jo should go to college.  Cokie, a cab driver and Jo's friend looks out for her, and Patrick, the son of the bookshop owner is a potential love interest. As is, Jesse, the good-looking mechanic who helps Jo out of a couple of tight spots.  When Forest Hearne walks into the bookshop and inquires whether Jo attends college, Jo finds herself fantasizing that this man could be her father.  When he turns up dead, Jo finds herself, and her mother, involved in the mystery of his death.  I really enjoyed this story.  I found the voices were quite vivid in my head and the characters truly came to life for me, especially Willie and Cokie to the point that I could hear their accents while I was reading and I could even picture Sadie who is mute.  I was horrified by Jo's mother.  This woman has absolutely no redeeming qualities, she cares only about herself, takes advantage of others, steals from her daughter, and has no problem putting Jo in harms way.  While Jo has spent most of her life being independent she still desires her mother's love and is constantly disappointed.  However, Jo's surrogate family looks over her and protects her - even when the Mob comes calling.

Recommended Readers: Grade 9 and Up

Themes: Murder, Parent/Child Relationships, Surrogate Families, Independence, Coming-of-Age, Friendship, Social Status, 1950s New Orleans, Desire, Prostitution, Escaping Life, Mothers

Cross-Genre Links: 
Play: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Poem: Caged Bird by Maya Angelou
Movie: The Pelican Brief
Music: Thru These Walls Performed by Phil Collins
Web Image Search: 1950s New Orleans
Web Search: New Orleans Culture

Post Reading Discussion Questions and Activities: 

  • Describe Jo's character.  Who is she?  What does she want out of life?  What faults does she have?  What strengths?
  • All of the women in this novel are extremely independent.  Write an essay explaining why and how three women in this novel are independent.
  • Have a discussion about Jo's relationships with her mother.  What did you think of Jo's mother. How does she treat her daughter?  What type of person is her mother?  Is it a personality flaw or a result of her position in society?
  • Discuss the occupants of Willie's brothel.  Who are they?  What are their strengths?  How do they each play a role in Jo's life?
  • Compare and contrast Patrick and Jesse.  
  • Discuss the setting and time period of this novel.  How does it influence the storyline.
  • How does society and status influence people's perception of you? 


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