Josie convinces Willie she is useful by offering to clean and make martinis, earning a place in her life.

Josie meets wealthy tourist Forrest Hearne at Marlowe's bookshop and bonds with him over their shared love of David Copperfield.

Willie tells Josie that Forrest Hearne has unexpectedly died at a New Orleans nightclub.

Charlotte Gates visits the bookshop and inspires Josie to pursue admission to Smith College in Massachusetts.

Josie finds Hearne's gold watch hidden in a sock under her mother's bed while cleaning her room.

Josie spots Mr. Lockwell leaving the brothel and blackmails him into writing her a college recommendation.

Detective Langley questions Josie at the police station about Hearne's bookshop visit and his missing watch.

Frankie informs Josie that the police believe her mother murdered Forrest Hearne and are bringing her back to New Orleans.

Charlie Marlowe dies while Josie is at Shady Grove, and Cokie brings her back for the funeral.

Cokie gives Josie all his gambling winnings to help cover her college expenses after Charlie's funeral.

Josie discovers her mother broke into her room and stole her gold watch and all her college money.

A man working for mob boss Marcello visits the bookshop and threatens Josie with a $5,000 inherited debt.

Josie receives her rejection letter from Smith College, crushing her hope of attending.

Josie tells Willie that her mother stole the gold watch, and Willie collapses from a heart attack and dies.

Jesse mails Hearne's watch to his widow at the post office before Josie begins her road trip to Massachusetts.

Josie Moraine grows up in the French Quarter as the daughter of a prostitute, dreaming of leaving for a better life. After meeting the kind and wealthy Forrest Hearne, she is devastated to learn he has been murdered, and her world grows more complicated when she discovers her mother's involvement. Josie fights to get into Smith College while hiding a dangerous secret about Hearne's missing watch. When her mother is implicated in the murder and later steals Josie's savings, Josie's dreams appear shattered. A mob debt, a college rejection, and Willie's sudden death force Josie to confront the chaos her mother has left behind. In the end, Josie chooses to forge her own path, heading to Massachusetts with Jesse by her side and a new last name.

The essential story of Josie's fight to escape New Orleans.

Young Josie waits alone in a hotel lobby all night while her mother meets a man who gives her pearls.

Charlie Marlowe converts his upstairs office into Josie's apartment as an eleventh birthday present.

Willie's lookout Frankie tells Josie that Cincinnati, her mother's dangerous ex-lover, is coming back to New Orleans.

Josie secretly keeps Hearne's uncashed check and adds his name to her private list of possible fathers.

Cincinnati grabs and threatens Josie in the bookshop until Cokie bursts in with a tire iron.

Josie's mother tells her over lunch that she is leaving New Orleans to move to Hollywood with Cincinnati.

Josie and Patrick attend Charlotte's party at the Lockwell house and feel like outsiders among the wealthy guests.

Willie tells Josie at Shady Grove that her mother was present when Cincinnati brutally beat Charlie Marlowe.

Miss Paulsen visits the bookshop and tells Josie her Smith College application is futile and will only build character.

Cokie gives Josie a map and thermos for her future road trip to Massachusetts as a birthday present.

Jesse surprises Josie at Shady Grove and takes her on a thrilling motorcycle ride through the countryside.

Josie's mother appears at Charlie's funeral and tries to take the gold watch off Josie's wrist.

Josie visits Lockwell's apartment, rejects his advances, fires her gun into the wall to scare him, and flees.

Willie's funeral fills with mourners from every corner of New Orleans society.

Willie's will is read aloud, leaving Josie Shady Grove, Willie's car Mariah, and her gun collection.

Josie's life in the French Quarter is defined by the people around her — Willie, Cokie, Patrick, and her unreliable mother Louise. From the night young Josie first arrived in New Orleans as a child, she has had to navigate danger and uncertainty, including the looming threat of her mother's violent boyfriend Cincinnati. Her friendship with Patrick deepens as they care for his ailing father Charlie, while her bond with Cokie grows as he becomes her most steadfast champion. When Charlie dies and Josie's mother causes further damage at the funeral, Josie faces the full human cost of her mother's selfishness. Jesse's surprise visit to Shady Grove and Cokie's generous birthday gifts show Josie how deeply she is cared for. Willie's funeral and the reading of her will close one chapter of Josie's life and open the door to everything that follows.

The relationships and supporting moments shaping Josie's world.

Josie notices Jesse Thierry riding his motorcycle past the bookshop and declines his offer of a ride.

Josie hides Hearne's watch inside a hollowed-out copy of A Passage to India and locks it in a cabinet.

Josie visits Mr. Lockwell's office, secures his blank letterhead, and plans to write the recommendation herself.

Josie walks to the riverbank to throw Hearne's watch in the water but cannot bring herself to do it.

Josie turns 18 and receives a gold Lady Elgin watch from Willie as a birthday gift.

Cokie shows Josie a newspaper article confirming that Hearne's death has officially been ruled a murder by drugging.

Patrick unexpectedly kisses Josie in the bookshop while Richard Lockwell watches judgmentally through the shop window.

Willie tells Josie she must stay at Shady Grove alone while her mother is brought back to New Orleans.

Josie buries Hearne's gold watch and uncashed check in the garden at Shady Grove.

Patrick pulls away from Josie's romantic advance and tearfully confesses he would choose her if he could.

Josie realizes that Patrick is in love with his friend James from Doubleday, not James's girlfriend Kitty.

Patrick says a tearful goodbye to Josie at the bus station and departs for the West Indies.

Willie confronts Josie about hiding the debt to Marcello and all the other secrets she has been keeping.

Willie gives Josie $5,000 and Josie successfully pays off Marcello's enforcer at the restaurant with bags of coins.

Josie asks Willie's attorney to help her legally change her last name to Coquard in honor of Cokie.

Josie's journey is driven by a series of revelations that force her to confront who she is and what she truly wants. Keeping Hearne's watch sets off a chain of moral struggles — hiding it in a hollowed-out book, failing to throw it in the river, and finally burying it at Shady Grove. Her romantic feelings for Patrick lead to a confusing kiss and an eventual revelation about his true feelings for James. As pressure mounts from the Marcello debt and her college rejection, Josie must decide how far she is willing to go to survive — and discovers she will not cross the line her mother crossed. Willie's confrontation marks the turning point where Josie finally stops hiding her secrets from those who love her. By changing her name to honor Cokie and paying off her inherited debts, Josie steps fully into the life she has chosen for herself.