It’s fall, y’all! And we’re heading to New Orleans with this month’s book club selection, Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. It’s an engaging and compelling portrait of a girl trying to seize her future as much as it is a rich portrait of 1950 in the South. There’s a lot to talk about and dissect, so we hope these discussion questions make your November meeting sparkle with conversation!
P.S. If you’ve already read the book, feel free to add any other discussion questions of your own in the comments!
Content warning: this book depicts scenes of assault and some attempted sexual assault.
Icebreaker
New Orleans provides a rich, dynamic setting for Josie’s story. Which city (from around the globe) is your favorite locale for a novel and why?
Discussion Questions
Warning: Some spoilers ahead!
Willie is a complex character to say the least. How did your opinion of her change, if at all, throughout the book?
Given the 1950 setting, racism and misogyny run rampant. How did you feel about the way Ruta Sepetys explored this dark side of the time period, especially looking at Josie’s interactions with various men?
Josie’s mom clearly won’t win any Mother of the Year awards, but she’s also lived a hard life. Did you, like Charlie, have moments of sympathy and/or empathy for her or no?
How did you feel about the way Ruta Sepetys developed Josie and Jesse’s relationship?
Which of the women working for Willie was your favorite?
Did you guess the true nature of Patrick and James’ relationship before it was revealed?
Sepetys peppers this novel with morsels of history and culture from 1950. Did you learn anything? And, in particular, anything that surprised you?
Were you shocked that Josie didn’t get into Smith or did you see that coming?
Random but… what was the deal with Willie’s Shady Grove neighbors, Ray and Frieda?
