by Ruta Sepetys
First published 2013
Josie is a 17-year-old girl trapped in the French Quarter's underbelly, her mother a prostitute struggling to get by. When a murder investigation ensnares Josie, she must navigate a web of secrets and lies to escape her past and forge a new future at prestigious Smith College. With the law closing in and her mother's dark world threatening to consume her, Josie fights for her chance at a better life in this gritty, immersive portrait of 1950s New Orleans.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, mystery, crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, secrets
Setting: New Orleans (La.)
Period: 20th Century
346 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books Ltd
Content warnings: abuse