Out of The Easy

De: Ruta Sepetys

Narrado por: Lauren Fortgang

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, 17-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 best-selling 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.

©2013 Ruta Sepetys (P)2013 Penguin Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Street-smart, literary and compassionate.... Atmospheric and assured...nicely paced novel.” (Wall Street Journal)

“[A]nother taut and charged historical novel.... Sepetys has also built a stellar cast. Readers will find Josie irresistible from the get-go and will devour the sultry mix of mystery, historical detail, and romance.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“A satisfying novel, bringing to life the midcentury French Quarter.... Sepetys writes with rawness and palpable emotional unease.” (New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice)

Easy to Love

Josie Moraine, the 17 year old daughter of a harlett, cleans a brothel while living above her employer's bookshop. She dares to dream of a better life, attending Smith College and leaving behind New Orleans' seedy underworld. Caught in the middle of a mysterious murder investigation, Jo's allegiance to her trollep mother, friends, and Willie (the madam who has been more of a mother-figure) is called into question. She must make difficult decisions, putting her in precarious situations in hopes of escaping with her innocence and livliehood.

This YA novel is a wonderful ride through resourceful and bright, Josie, Jo, Josephine's tale. Interesting, entertaining, and just dangerous enough to appeal to adults and no curse words or explicit sex to recommend to my daughter. Wonderful, straight forward writing style. Will definitely check out her first book, Between Shades of Gray.

Ruta Sepetys is always an insta-buy...

... and always unputdownable. Out of the Easy is beautifully written, weaving the charm and beauty of 1950s New Orleans with its seedy underbelly. Sepetys' rich, dynamic characters come to life in Fortgang's narration.

For young adults.

A good story and very well performed, but very simplistic. Adults will likely be disappointed.

An interesting view of 50's New Orleans

Lighter than Sepetys' other historical fiction, a fairly simple story.

overall a good, casual listen.

Beautiful

What did you love best about Out of The Easy?

I loved the characters, each had it's own accent, it's own story.

What did you like best about this story?

The story captured so much more than 1950's New Orleans. It captured a coming of age girl in a rough situation, it captured first loves and first pains.

What does Lauren Fortgang bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accents were beautifully done! I loved her interpretation of Willie and Jesse.

Three cheers for Out of The Easy!

Ruta Sepetys is a gifted story teller. I enjoyed the story and the New Orleans history. This story has mystery, suspense and great characters. It was a nice break from some of the heavier subjects Ms. Sepetys has written.

Fabulous

I loved this book. Along with all her other books. It can be a bit dark, but still a wonderful read.

Pulled at My Heart Strings

Out of the Easy is a great story of how children can survive and come out of dysfunction. The narration was authentic making the characters come to life.

Listeners Will Savor Every Word!

Would you listen to Out of The Easy again? Why?

When listening to the book, I sometimes played back passages, to appreciate the descriptive language & details. At some points I was very plot-focused, and intent on finding out the next step in character dialogue and actions. Knowing the outcome of the plot now,I would listen again, to have a greater understanding of the writer's craft. I want to encourage anyone who reads this book to listen to Ms. Sepety's discussion of the research and writing process, an unadvertised feature after the music that concludes reading of the novel.

What did you like best about this story?

Hearing a book read out loud is a true test of its quality, as you want to savor every word in a good novel. I only listened to this book when I didn't have any distractions. For most books, I can do the equivalent of skimming, and drive or accomplish some housework. I am an adult, and I think this book stands on its own as an adult read.

This novel offers an intimate (but not sexually explicit!) view into the struggles of rich and poor, living in New Orleans in the 1950s. We gain insight into the idiosyncratic culture of New Orleans, class distinctions in the south & northeast, and the struggles of women trying to be independent before the women's lib movement. We understand the complexity of each character, driving his or her motivations for acts of acts of selfishness & generosity. The author's description of New Orleans and many other historical details weaved throughout the story are fascinating.

The colorful characters and dialog are a real strength of the novel, and the reader captures the dialect and personality of each character. The reader sounds like a 17-year old girl, which is the narrator's age. Yet she seamlessly switches between the characters. Josie's emotional development, in environment of hardship/social shame, is unique-- but not in gimmicky way.

Have you listened to any of Lauren Fortgang’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first Lauren Fortgang read.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Won't say, as I've tried not to include spoilers!

Any additional comments?

Do not be put off by the concept of the brothel. The book feels like a 1950s classic, as the narrator is more aware of sexual & criminal baseness than most other girls of her age, but she doesn't see behind closed doors. Fans of The Help may want to read this book. While classifying in a genre & comparing to another book is too simplistic, Out of the Easy is a coming-of-age story in the same era. Through the 17 year-old girl's search for her adult identity, we gain insight into the social complexities of an era.

I have listened to hundreds of audiobooks, and I have given only a few a triple five-star rating.

Easy read, very predictable

Ok read if you want something easy to listen to. No big plot twists and pretty predictable. Some great characters that seemed like there could have been more to them.