Book Club Discussion Questions
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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
- Throughout the book, the author uses language in unexpected and
original ways. Two examples include her depiction of a dejected Patrick
on page 140 where she writes that his "shoulders frowned," and her
description of Miss Paulsen's "taffied scalp" (p. 152). What do you think
each of these phrases means? What are some other examples of imagery
created by the author? Why do you believe she made these choices as an
author? (Reading Standard 4)
- Unlike many of the people in her life, Josie is an avid reader. How does
her love of reading bring her closer to certain characters and further
separate her from others? Cite specific examples from the book.
(Reading Standard 1)
- Why does Josie become obsessed with Forrest Hearne, a stranger she met
only once? How do her thoughts about him change after his death? Cite
specific evidence to support your answers. (Reading Standard 2)
- What role does the settingthe French Quarter of New Orleans in 1950
play in the story? How might the story be different if it were set in the
present in your hometown? (Reading Standard 6)
- Why do you think Willie would only pay for Josie to go to college in New
Orleans? (Reading Standard 3)
- The author includes a number of literary references throughout the text,
incorporating titles and quotations of both classic literature and books
that were popular during the time period in which the book was set. Why
do you believe she chose to include these references? (Reading Standard 5)
- On page 41, Josie remembers a line written by Keats: "A thing of beauty
is a joy forever." Josie's life and her surroundings are filled with ugliness,
but there are also things of beauty that bring her joy. What are some of
those things? (Reading Standard 1)
- On page 260, a policeman questioning Josie says, "I told him he was
going to a goat's house for wool." What does that mean? How does it
make Josie feel? (Reading Standard 1)
- On page 211, Josie and Willie have a conversation in which they compare
each other to characters from Cinderella. What do you think Willie means
when she says Josie is like "Cinderella with the stepmother heart"? How
does this comment make Josie feel? (Reading Standard 1)
- Josie says about herself, "No matter how I parted my hair, I couldn't part
from the crack I had crawled out of" (p. 258). Why can't Josie see the good
in herself the way others do? (Reading Standard 1)
- Josie and Jesse are both characters with very difficult pasts who could
have easily chosen a lifestyle of "hustle and blow" like many of the other
people in their lives. Why do you think each of them is able to choose a
different path? (Reading Standard 2)
- While John Lockwell is not a sympathetic character, Josie essentially
blackmails him to get what she wants. How do you feel about that decision
on her part and why? (Reading Standard 3)
- Josie often reflects on the concept and elements of family. How would you
define family and what are some things that create feelings of family for
Josie? (Reading Standard 1)
- Josie makes a decision to do something abhorrent to her in order to get
the money she needs from John Lockwell but is not able to go through with
her plan. What is your reaction to that scene? How does the author create
those feelings in you as a reader? (Reading Standard 5)
- Patrick has a secret that is never explicitly stated in the text. What is
his secret? How does the author use foreshadowing to reveal it? What
are specific clues from the text that illuminate what he is hiding about
himself? (Reading Standard 5)
- How does Patrick feel about the part of himself that he is keeping secret?
How do you know this? (Reading Standard 1)
- What happens when Patrick tries to explain his secret to Josie? Why do you
think she never confronts him with the fact that she understands what he
is hiding? (Reading Standard 3)
- On page 284, Josie recalls the following quote from Keats: "I love you the
more in that I believe you have liked me for my own sake and for nothing
else." How does that quotation apply to Josie's relationship with Patrick?
(Reading Standard 3)
- Josie's mother is an extremely unlikeable character. Does she have any
redeeming qualities? Cite specific examples from the text that influenced
your feelings about her. (Reading Standard 3)
- Shakespeare wrote in
The Merchant of Venice
, "The sins of the father
are to be laid upon the children." In Josie's case, she is punished for her
mother's sins in a number of ways. What are some of Josie's mother's
sins for which Josie is punished and in what ways is she punished?
(Reading Standard 2)
- Why does Josie choose to change her name? What is the significance of
the name she chooses? (Reading Standard 1)
- The author chose to write this story solely from Josie's point of view. How
did that choice affect you as a reader? Select another character from the
story and describe how your reading experience would have been different
if the story had been told from her/his perspective? (Reading Standard 6)
- On page 237, Josie muses about how John Lockwell displays his
history publicly in family photographs, how Willie keeps hers hidden in
a drawer, and how she keeps her own history and dreams "on a list in
my desk and, now, buried in the back garden." What does she mean by
each of these statements? Where do you keep your history and dreams?
(Reading Standard 3)
- Out of the Easy
is a work of historical fiction. Any author of this genre
must do extensive research to ensure that all the historical details
included in the text are accurate. Ruta Sepetys describes some of the
resources she used in writing this book in the "Acknowledgments"
included at the end. What historical details did she include that sparked
your curiosity as a reader? How might you go about finding out if a
specific detail is factual or fictional? (Reading Standard 8)
- Josie quotes
David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens on page 265. Why
is this quote significant? Is Josie the hero of her own life? What would
you have done if confronted with some of the circumstances she faced?
(Reading Standard 3)
- Josie wants desperately to escape from New Orleans because she wants
to use her mind "for study and research instead of trickery and street
hustle" (p. 267). Do you think she accomplished that goal? Why or
why not? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your opinions.
(Reading Standard 2)
- Were you surprised by the outcome of Josie's decision to apply to Smith
College? What do you imagine will happen to Josie after the story ends?
(Reading Standard 10)
Download a PDF of the reading guide from the Out of the Easy website.
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Speak.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.