Out of the Easy was among one of the books for last years summer reading. I read about 60% of what was on the list, and Out of the Easy was one of the most intriguing. Set in the French quarter of New Orleans in the 1950s, main character Josie Moraine is dreaming of a college education. She has the smarts, but being the daughter of a prostitute does not help her image. All she wants is out of the easy. She is tired of cleaning the brothel,  her selfish mother and of the men she associates herself with, and New Orleans. However, there are a few people that have her best interests at heart. Willie, the owner of the brothel, had taken a liking to Josie and did not want her to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Patrick, the kind boy that works with her at his father’s bookshop, knows her potential. And Cokie, a chauffeur of Willie’s that only wants Josie to succeed.

Josie does not believe that college is included in her realm, but when a wealthy architecture from Tennessee walks into the bookshop and asks her where she is planning on going she begins thinking of the unimaginable. Luck has it when she meets Charlotte. A girl attending Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Charlotte and Josie get along well and knows that this could lead to a bigger, better future. She encourages Josie to apply to Smith, saying she has just the qualities to fit in.

But living in the French quarter is dangerous. And if anyone knows of her applying, she is done for. First things first, she needs the money. With the help of Cokie, she has enough for a years tuition. When the money is stolen by her mother and current pimp, she must do a few things she is not proud of. With a few unexpected twists of fate, she finds herself on the road to Northampton.

Out of the Easy was a suspenseful read that I could not put down, and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading historical fiction.

4/5 Stars.