Review: Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys

This was such a compelling historical fiction novel. Am I the only one who feels like a lot of books in this genre can get too descriptive with historical fact, and thus become boring? With Out of the Easy, however, I truly couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I loved the characterization of different people in New Orleans in 1950, how Sepetys captured their lives, the good and ugly parts. Our protagonist, Josie, is an inspiring, independent girl with huge dreams to go to college, but she is held back because her mother is a prostitute.

Ever since she was seven, Josie has been a housemaid and occasional bartender to the brothel where her mother works. Josie knows no decent college would accept a “salted peanuts” girl from the French Quarter with a stained lineage like hers.

“This town will eat you up if you’re not careful. But I won’t be here forever.”

This small glimpse into Josie’s life was a sad and frustrating one. Perverted men would repeatedly ask Josie if she was planning on “following her mother’s footsteps” and their advances on her made me so angry.

Josie was disgusted by her neglectful mother who would rather run off with an abusive criminal than look after her own daughter; it was a good sign when I found my heart aching for Josie, as it meant that I truly cared for her.

Josie had supportive friends in her life, too. Patrick, who helped run the bookstore, Jesse the mechanic, and even the madam of the brothel, Willie. These people were low class, but unlike Josie’s despicable mother, they were actually kind and compassionate human beings. The message was that it doesn’t matter what your background is, whether you’re rich or poor, so long as you are loving to others.

“Let me tell you something 'bout these rich Uptown folk,” said Cokie. “They got everything that money can buy, their bank accounts are fat, but they ain’t happy. They ain’t ever gone be happy. You know why? They soul broke. And money can’t fix that.”

Josie’s story was a quiet, moving, and immersive one. Brimming with romance, secrets, and murder, I couldn’t get enough of the plot. Also, Josie was an awesome heroine and never let scumbags tell her what to do:

“What do you do with all this bank, Josie? Be a lot easier if you just lifted your skirt.”
“The only reason I’d lift my skirt is to pull out my pistol and plug you in the head.”