Historical

The Downstairs Girl

The Downstairs Girl

  • Downloads：9203
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-22 04:31:37
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Stacey Lee
  • ISBN：1524740977
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

From the critically-acclaimed author of Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon and founding member of We Need Diverse Books comes a powerful novel about identity， betrayal， and the meaning of family。 Now available in paperback！

By day， seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta。 But by night， Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady， Dear Miss Sweetie。 When her column becomes wildly popular， she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills， but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender。 While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie， a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby。 But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal， Jo must decide whether she， a girl used to living in the shadows， is ready to step into the light。 With prose that is witty， insightful， and at times heartbreaking， Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South。

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Reviews

Jackie ，

A beautifully written novel about a strong young girl who succeeds in spite of being surrounded by those who tell her that she can’t because of her skin color。 A grandfathers love that protects and gives her freedom to believe in what is right even when society tries to tell her that she does not belong。

Hendrix Eva ，

Sweet， wholesome。

Louise ，

This audiobook about a Chinese American living in Atlanta during the Reconstruction was disconcerting to me at first， simply because the narrator had a southern accent， with no hint of a Chinese timbre。 Later in the book， one of the characters suggests it odd to hear a southern accent out of a Chinese woman's mouth， so I guess it was intentional。 Once I got over that， the story drew me in。 Jo was a lively and endearing character， squatting below a printer's shop with her 'Old Jin' for her entire This audiobook about a Chinese American living in Atlanta during the Reconstruction was disconcerting to me at first， simply because the narrator had a southern accent， with no hint of a Chinese timbre。 Later in the book， one of the characters suggests it odd to hear a southern accent out of a Chinese woman's mouth， so I guess it was intentional。 Once I got over that， the story drew me in。 Jo was a lively and endearing character， squatting below a printer's shop with her 'Old Jin' for her entire life。 She faced terrible prejudice for her Chinese heritage and worked in any way she could to help buy food and necessities。 Her love for words was delightful - imagine having a wall full of words you want to remember！ This was fun to listen to！ 。。。more

Diana Anderson ，

WonderfulI loved this book and will be reading everything else by her， too。 This shows you the South right after the Civil War。

Heather Warriner ，

4。5 stars Very captivating historical fiction about a time in history I knew little about。 The intriguing and multi-layered nature of the relationships between characters made for some of my favorite aspects of this story。

Sheri Mazariegos ，

Although this takes place over a hundred years ago， it seemed to have so many messages that resonated with the social/political struggles of current times。 This book is full of hope and resilience。 Definitely has you rooting for the main characters。 Just a lovely and inspiring read （and a few surprises as well！）

Natalie ，

3。5 Stars: Great audiobook！ Enjoyed the overall story， but felt like the ending wrapped up too quickly for me :P Maybe that's due to the fact that I listened to the book rather then physically read it and couldn't really tell how much was left in the book。 3。5 Stars: Great audiobook！ Enjoyed the overall story， but felt like the ending wrapped up too quickly for me :P Maybe that's due to the fact that I listened to the book rather then physically read it and couldn't really tell how much was left in the book。 。。。more

Brenda Sue ，

It was ok。 Typical plot line but a nice enough summer read。

LeighAnn ，

I’m probably closer to a 3 for this book but rounding up to a 4 because it had good premise。 It is just missing the wow factor。

Abby ，

Really enjoyed this， didn't want to put it down。 Really enjoyed this， didn't want to put it down。 。。。more

Jessica ，

This was a great historical fiction！ I had not read a book with the Atlanta setting showing how different races interacted with each other。 It was a great perspective！

Mmtimes4 ，

By day， seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta。 But by night， Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady， "Dear Miss Sweetie。" When her column becomes wildly popular， she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills， but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender。 While her opponents cl By day， seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta。 But by night， Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady， "Dear Miss Sweetie。" When her column becomes wildly popular， she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills， but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender。 While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie， a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby。 But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal， Jo must decide whether she， a girl used to living in the shadows， is ready to step into the light。 With prose that is witty， insightful， and at times heartbreaking， Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South。 GR descriptionI listened to this July's book club choice。 I liked the characters and the setting。 I did not know in history that Chinese workers were brought over to replace the plantation workers after the civil war。 I also enjoyed the surprises in the story。 。。。more

Anne ，

It’s honestly not that bad。 It’s just since historical fiction uses a lot of old terminology and this book uses a lot of old English， it’s hard to understand for the first 60 pages or so。 After that， I had no trouble reading it。 In fact， it was interesting after that too。 The book was pretty good except that the ending felt very rushed。 Had it not felt like that， I would’ve given it 4 stars。 The last part of the book before the epilogue should’ve been spaced over at least 30 pages rather than 10 It’s honestly not that bad。 It’s just since historical fiction uses a lot of old terminology and this book uses a lot of old English， it’s hard to understand for the first 60 pages or so。 After that， I had no trouble reading it。 In fact， it was interesting after that too。 The book was pretty good except that the ending felt very rushed。 Had it not felt like that， I would’ve given it 4 stars。 The last part of the book before the epilogue should’ve been spaced over at least 30 pages rather than 10。 。。。more

Judy ，

I love reading about lives I will never live。

Elizabeth ，

This missed for me but I’m obviously in the minority- maybe too many plot points that didn’t seem to meld？ She’s Asian in the post Civil War South and I was super intrigued by that。 She is caught between a South divided along racial lines that is about to become even more divided。 She’s forced to live underground- literally then somehow things explode - she is a Milliner， a maid， a babysitter， a newspaper woman， a suffragette， a horse rider， she’s seems to have romantic interest the sympathetic This missed for me but I’m obviously in the minority- maybe too many plot points that didn’t seem to meld？ She’s Asian in the post Civil War South and I was super intrigued by that。 She is caught between a South divided along racial lines that is about to become even more divided。 She’s forced to live underground- literally then somehow things explode - she is a Milliner， a maid， a babysitter， a newspaper woman， a suffragette， a horse rider， she’s seems to have romantic interest the sympathetic black boy， then in her white boss’s brother/son， then the newspaper boss， then trying to avoid arranged marriage to an Asian， there’s a mystery about her birth parents， a family heirloom， a sick grandfather， a horse race and a sinister character that takes her into a brothel。 Weirdly all this action isn’t that compelling- not sure that I can recommend- but again I’m obviously in the minority！ 。。。more

Candace C ，

4。75 starsTook my time with this one。 I haven't read a historical fiction book in years， but I am so delighted I picked this one up & I have #thisstoryaintover to thank。 I loved this book！ Thanks for the rec！！ 4。75 starsTook my time with this one。 I haven't read a historical fiction book in years， but I am so delighted I picked this one up & I have #thisstoryaintover to thank。 I loved this book！ Thanks for the rec！！ 。。。more

Deb Eschweiler ，

Interesting book。 I didn't realize that Chinese were bought in to work when slavery was first abolished。 Historical fiction about a young Chinese girl working for a plantation owner and the secrets she uncovers about her own history。 She's a strong-willed， independant young lady determined to forge ahead。 Interesting book。 I didn't realize that Chinese were bought in to work when slavery was first abolished。 Historical fiction about a young Chinese girl working for a plantation owner and the secrets she uncovers about her own history。 She's a strong-willed， independant young lady determined to forge ahead。 。。。more

Sharon Oberlander ，

Delightful read， well worth the timeThis was a summer assignment for my daughter - I picked it up since I was curious about the content she would be reading。 I am so glad I did as I couldn’t put it down。 It was well written and created a vivid portrait of life in the south 25 years after the civil war。 Jo is a lovely heroine with a unique perspective to share about life at that time。 Highly recommended！

Josephine Marie ，

3。5

Sandra ，

Really enjoyed this book！ Stacey Lee hits it out of the ballpark again！

Emily ，

A fun little read， though definitely more modern than I usually prefer。

Shannon Archibald ，

This was such a delightful book。 I really enjoyed learning about racism in the south from a Chinese-American perspective。 I also really fell in love with the character of Jo。

Naaytaashreads ，

“Sometimes， things must get harder before they can change。”Coming into the book without much idea of what I'm getting is a good way to start the book。I wanted to be surprise， I sure was。Stacey Lee managed to write beautifully and getting the message across with each plotlines and scenes。We get talks on feminism， race， racism， family secrets， finding a voice and place， intersectionality and basically for Jo to be who she want to be in the society。The pace of the book was very balance out with dif “Sometimes， things must get harder before they can change。”Coming into the book without much idea of what I'm getting is a good way to start the book。I wanted to be surprise， I sure was。Stacey Lee managed to write beautifully and getting the message across with each plotlines and scenes。We get talks on feminism， race， racism， family secrets， finding a voice and place， intersectionality and basically for Jo to be who she want to be in the society。The pace of the book was very balance out with different stories。However， it got quite confusing at times when the storylines goes in circle and you're not quite sure where it is going until you get towards the climax。The different pov or voices we get in side characters indirectly was a nice change。We get only Jo's storyline but Stacey made sure that other side characters opinions and stories were heard。What I really like about Stacey writing is she really writes the honest raw truth of activism。In terms of， even within an activist group that is supporting the same cause， there might be conflicts， stereotypes and differences。 It is not always black and white， maybe on paper it is but behind the scenes we never know。 Towards the end with the climax it definitely got quite intense and emotional。I didn't expect that plot twist but it was a good and it make sense naturally with how it went。I can't wait to read more of Stacey Lee books！“A blessing loves a good surprise。” 。。。more

Iolanna ，

Writing - 4 starsStory - 5 starsCharacters - 5 starsWhen I was reading it， I didn't even realize this book is considered to be YA。 Writing is great but at times a little too confusing。 The story itself is powerful， important to tell and understand。 I fully enjoyed following Jo while she tried to uncover the mystery of her life。 Some things were predictable， but very enjoyable to read about。 I liked Jo and how she was navigating the segregation in Georgia， not fitting into the categories。 We need Writing - 4 starsStory - 5 starsCharacters - 5 starsWhen I was reading it， I didn't even realize this book is considered to be YA。 Writing is great but at times a little too confusing。 The story itself is powerful， important to tell and understand。 I fully enjoyed following Jo while she tried to uncover the mystery of her life。 Some things were predictable， but very enjoyable to read about。 I liked Jo and how she was navigating the segregation in Georgia， not fitting into the categories。 We need more stories like this， that make your heart warm and make you believe in good and fairness。 。。。more

Kimberly ，

Entertaining enough to listen to。

Shannon ，

DNF。 Couldn’t get into it， but I usually don’t read historical YA。 If you liked it， tell me why and I might give it another go！ Not bad at all， just wasn’t my thing。

Susanne ，

I didn't know a lot about the situation in the US southern states after the Civil War and even less about the lives and fate of the Chinese workers。 I'm glad to have read this book on that account。 Unfortunately neither the characters nor the plot managed to really pull me in。 I was and stayed rather indifferent to it all。 I didn't know a lot about the situation in the US southern states after the Civil War and even less about the lives and fate of the Chinese workers。 I'm glad to have read this book on that account。 Unfortunately neither the characters nor the plot managed to really pull me in。 I was and stayed rather indifferent to it all。 。。。more

Karen ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Very enjoyable and Jo is wonderfully sassy but the fact that someone as conveniently perfect as Nathan exists kind of took me out of it lmao。 A white southern man in 1890 who is never racist and believes 100% in women’s suffrage and whose parents also share the same mindset no problem， completely uncritically？ And of all the basements in Atlanta for Jo and Gin to end up in it just so happens to be the Bells’？ Not f*cking likely！ I also expected a lot more suspense and drama for Nathan to find ou Very enjoyable and Jo is wonderfully sassy but the fact that someone as conveniently perfect as Nathan exists kind of took me out of it lmao。 A white southern man in 1890 who is never racist and believes 100% in women’s suffrage and whose parents also share the same mindset no problem， completely uncritically？ And of all the basements in Atlanta for Jo and Gin to end up in it just so happens to be the Bells’？ Not f*cking likely！ I also expected a lot more suspense and drama for Nathan to find out Ms。 Sweetie’s identity。 Also， as a 100% Chinese person it’s quite easy to tell when someone’s half Asian half white。 Even if it’s subtle。 You can tell。 I mean maybe it’s her complete utter lack of exposure to any other Chinese women but I find it hard to believe Jo never noticed anything a little Different about herself？Also also………if I were Nathan I would be at least a little Weirded Out that this Chinese girl and her grandpa has been living in my basement my entire life listening in on my conversations and knows almost everything about me， even if she’s hot and saved my family’s business。 Dude。 Please freak out a little bit？ But other than that they’re cute I guess！ Eh！ 15-year-old me would’ve ate this shit up tho so this is for her ❤️ 。。。more

Ashleigh Swiatkowski ，

Witty， well written， good story， fantastic narration！ Great listen ！

Cheryl ，

Definitely a YA book。 I was hoping for something more intense。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Downstairs Girl

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Downstairs Girl&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Downstairs Girl&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0