This was such a compelling, fresh, "modern" take on historical fiction—it brought a period of time to life while also giving me fresh insight and a new perspective.

Stacey Lee’s YA Historical Fiction novel The Downstairs Girl is a charming and thought-provoking read. Jo Kuan is a 17-year-old Chinese-American maid living in Atlanta in the late 1800s. Although Jo is a natural-born American citizen, she moves about her world unseen by the society she lives in. Jo channels the sage wisdom of her ancestors and begins to write an anonymous advice column in the local paper. Her “Dear Miss Sweetie” tackles hot button issues of the day such as voter rights, women’s rights, and discrimination. Jo’s spirit and wit kept the reader engaged throughout the book. I loved the triumphant ending and would love to see this story continue.

This engaging work of YA historical fiction will resonate with teens and older audiences alike. Jo is a witty, intelligent, and resourceful maid who gets into hot water when the wealthy white women of her employer's social circle start trying to decipher the identity of Dear Miss Sweetie, a (to them) scandalous agony aunt who is none other than Jo. The personal and professional stakes that Jo faces are high and watching her triumph over the obstacles that society places in her way as a young Asian-American girl is a pleasure.

I appreciated that this book highlighted a lesser-known aspect of Southern American history. It touched on a variety of topics - Asian immigrants in the Antebellum South, female authors, non-traditional topics, and a little bit of romance.

I wish books like this were around when I was a teen. It's great to see such representation, especially in historical fiction. I thought the book was well written and interesting and I learned a lot. It did seem kind of strange to have horse racing tacked on at the end but that's a minor quibble. I will be looking for more of Stacey Lee's historical fiction. I think adults who like historical fiction would enjoy this as much as teens. I'd recommend it for fans of Y.S. Lee.

The Downstairs Girl tells the story of Jo Kuan, a Chinese American woman struggling to find her place in post-Civil War Georgia. Jo is employed as a servant for a wealthy family while she lives illegally in the basement of a struggling newspaper owner’s house. She decides to write an advice column to help her upstairs neighbor boost newspaper sales and give herself an outlet.

Stacey Lee seamlessly touches on so many themes over the course of The Downstairs Girl. My favorite was Lee’s handling of intersectional feminism. From Jo’s column to her involvement with the Women’s Rights movement, there is so much to unpack, and sadly, most of it still needs to be unpacked today.

The Downstairs Girl reminded me of Last Night at the Telegraph Club. It didn’t help that Emily Woo Zeller read the audiobook for both. However, they are both about young Chinese American women dealing with inter-generational conflict and discrimination. I think these books are worth looking at next to each other.

Excellent book written from the unusual viewpoint of a young Chinese woman in the west. I could not put it down. Highly recommended.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley many months ago and I didn't read it in a timely manner. I also didn't finish it, giving up less than a quarter of the way through. I found the plot to be entirely too predictable, the characters too simplistic, and the writing so easy to read that it was boring. In fairness, I did not realize that this book was targeted to teens and young adults. However, I have read plenty of books that are more appropriately challenging for readers in that age group. The language of the characters, especially Jo, did not ring true to me. The book was set in 1890 and while I didn't bother to look it up, I suspect that some of the phrases were anachronistic.

I gave this two stars because the book is set in the post-civil war south, a time period that is less common in my reading. I was intrigued to learn that once slavery was abolished, Chinese citizens came to the US and were essentially hired as replacements. I love historical fiction for the opportunity to learn while being swept away in a good story. Based on reading other reviews, I know that I am of a dissenting minority, but this book neither challenged me or held my attention

Immersive and evocative — the voice of Lee's story is complex and alive. She brings to life corners of history not often addressed.

The Downstairs Girl hit many areas that I love about novels, one of which is that it is historical fiction. It combined enjoyment of reading an engaging story while also increasing knowledge. Jo was an independent, Asian woman living in Atlanta, GA in the late 1800s. By day she made a living as a maid in a wealthy household, but by night she secretly lived in the basement of a local newspaper office and home. Because of her gratefulness to the family, she began to anonymously write an advice column to help the newspaper's sagging sales. The novel included many social issues, intrigue, and a budding romance. It is geared toward young adults and should be a great option for students who enjoy historical fiction.

After being dismissed from her job as a hat maker, Jo Kuan is forced into a job as a lady's maid. Her charge is difficult, cantankerous, and determined to make Jo uncomfortable. Jo and her adopted father, Old Gin, live in a hidden cellar. Above them lives the Bell's a newspaper family. When Jo learns that the newspaper is in trouble, she begins pinning an agony aunt column "Dear Miss Sweetie." Her irreverent columns, and challenges to society's normal quickly lands her in hot water, as people across the city try and uncover her identity.

I was pleased to discover a strong, female character, determined to make a difference in the world. I loved Jo's attitude and point of view. Although Jo was a strong character, a lot of the secondary characters were one dimensional and felt like caricatures. The plot itself was a bit predictable, and easily resolved. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

The Downstairs Girl is a wonderful, historical novel with great period detail. This is a great choice for committed readers of historical fiction who want a thoughtful, detailed story. Highly recommend.

Stacey Lee's skilled writing reveals the issues of society in early 1900s Atlanta while giving us a young witty woman to root for.

Oh, what a lovely book. What a special, wonderful read. I loved the historical accuracy, even when it hurt to “watch.” I adore Miss Sweetie. I drank in the period details. I want to recommend it to so many kids! I’m so so so glad I read this book after holding on to it for so long. 🤓💜📚

In The Downstairs Girl Chinese-American Jo Kuan lives in 1890 Atlanta with her guardian, Old Gin, in the abolitionist quarters underneath the home of the publisher of a failing newspaper. When she loses her job as a milliner's assistant, she returns to a job as a lady's maid to the cantankerous daughter of a society maven. She overhears the publisher talking about bolstering newspaper sales with an "agony aunt" column, so she begins anonymously submitting a column that offers advice on fashion, women's suffrage, and prejudice that sparks controversy and raises subscriptions. Her sharp wit and questions about her identity are the talk of Atlanta. Subplots about Jo's parentage and her romance with the publisher's son complement her first-person narrative, which sheds light on the struggles of women and people of color in the Reconstructionist South. The well-researched narrative raises important questions about how we understand the past, as well as the ways that understanding shapes the present.

Jo Kuan is a Chinese American girl living in Atlanta in 1890. She loses her job working for a milliner even though she has a talent for making hats. It’s just one of the many instances of bigotry that the girl suffers. She later gets hired by a wealthy family as a maid and must tend to their spoiled daughter who enjoys insulting and demeaning her. What makes Jo’s story especially fascinating are the circumstances of her homelife and her new opportunity to write an anonymous advice column for the local paper, while still suffering indignities as a maid.

Jo is clever, compassionate and spunky. Her Dear Miss Sweetie column is a hit with the same people who look down upon her. She is determined to reach beyond her status and yet wants no credit for the impact her advice has on people or for the way her words spur others to action. This book will entrance and enchant all who follow Lee’s story. Jo is a character that will stay with readers long after they finish the book. Lee points to racism, women’s inequality and the need to speak up and be a voice of change. This title adds to her reputation as an author whose YA novels are carefully composed stories of critical issues that are important for all readers to consider.

4.5*

Jo never knew her parents, but her adopted father Old Gin raised her from infancy in a subterranean room used by the Underground Railroad (since Chinese weren’t allowed to own or rent property). She uses the lessons Old Gin taught (academics, strength, patience, etc.) to find her place in a society that, at best, shuns her and, at worst, threatens her. Despite this, she perseveres and stands up for herself, first by going back to work for a spoiled, nasty society debutante, then by writing an anonymous column for a progressive paper. As she works to uncover the mysteries of a letter and clothing left behind by someone named Shang as well as why Old Gin involves himself with a notorious criminal named Billy Riggs, she discovers the truth about her parents and information about her employer and others that she uses to her advantage.

This stunning historical YA novel touches on a number of social issues including feminism (suffragettes), racism, and the plight of Chinese in late 19th-century Atlanta at the start of Jim Crow. These are all witnessed and narrated by Jo, a strong, intelligent, charming, and quick-witted Asian teen who is trying to navigate her way in a society that is determined to keep her down in a time period not often featured in teen fiction. There is also the beginnings of an interracial relationship which was illegal at the time.

The one concern is that her outspoken manner and the way she challenges people in power (whether rich or dangerous) would probably not have gone unchallenged at the time, and would have put her and those who cared about her in danger. It’s also questionable whether there would have been so many people willing to risk their livelihoods or reputations to protect and defend her. Despite this, it’s still an extraordinary piece of historical fiction. Highly recommended.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Jo Kuan is a seventeen year old Chinese girl. She works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta in 1890. But there is much more to Jo than meets the eye. At night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the aristocratic Southern lady, “Dear Miss Sweetie.” Her column becomes wildly popular, and Jo uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills. She’s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges ideas about race and gender.

Everyone wants to know the secret identity of Miss Sweetie. A mysterious letter arrives one day setting Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. This, most unfortunately, puts Jo in the direct path of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal. Now, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to being invisible, is ready to reveal herself and claim her fame.

I think you will find this book memorable, if not captivating, as you wonder at the restrictions placed on women and people of color and the resulting effects. The book celebrates the strengths and talents of people struggling to break society’s barriers in any age.

Ages 12–up.

Many people do not know about the Chinese laborers who were brought into the South to take the place of the freed slaves. This story takes place in 1890, a few years after that. It illuminates the way that they didn't fit into the white or black world. Jo is an excellent milliner, but is let go because of her race. This forces her back into being a lady's maid, for a girl she has never gotten along with. Jo and Old Gin live illegally in the basement of a printer's barn, an old Underground Railroad housing place. Lee does an excellent job of showing the tightrope Jo had to walk, as well as showing life in the South during Reconstruction. A lovely historical fiction.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel deals with racism and a family's hidden past. Good characterization.