Recently Read: Out of the Easy

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys was an impulse read. I saw it on my library website to borrow and I picked it up and finished it in two days. I really didn't know anything about this book, but I had seen it mentioned a couple time because of the author's previous book, Between Shades of Gray which I have not read. 

This book is about Jo who lives in New Orleans in the 1950's with her mother who is a prostitute. Jo has been practically raised by Wille, the Madam her mother works for. Jo works at the local book shop and has big dreams of getting out of the Easy and going to college out east. 

Jo's mother wins the worst mother ever award. One thing I liked about this book is that Jo realizes how bad of a person her mother is, but she does not blame it on her profession. She knows even if her mother was a doctor, she would still be a horrible person.

 New Orleans in this time really interests me and I would love to read more stories that take place in this time. Jo was a great character, as were the others in the book, she felt very authentic, and the plot has an element of suspense to it. I think this book would make a great movie, I would love to see 1950's New Orleans in movie form. 

Do you know any books that have a similar setting you would like to recommend?