NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a captivating historical thriller about a teenage girl desperate to escape the secrets of her past in 1950s New Orleans.

“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)

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

Caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld, Josie is soon lured deeper into a high-profile murder investigation in search of the truth. But with dangling temptation at every turn, will she ever be able to escape her mother’s mistakes and pursue the life that was meant for her? With compelling characters, a standout setting, and an unforgettable storyline, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.