Description
Product description
Review
A gorgeous tale that will steal your heart. This is not only a keeper, but a classic!
A jewel of a story. By shining a light on the lives of those whom history usually ignores, Stacey Lee gives us a marvellous gift: An entirely new and riveting look at our past
Clever, funny, and poignant, The Downstairs Girl is Stacey Lee at her best
Immersive, important, and thoroughly entertaining, The Downstairs Girl sparkles with all of Stacey Lee’s signature humour, charm, warmth, and wisdom
The Downstairs Girl holds a mirror to our present issues while giving us a detailed and vibrant picture of life in the past . . . The challenges Jo faces ring true for the novel’s historical setting, but they will also ring strong for Lee’s contemporary readers. As a young person, Jo is resoundingly American-an observant, open-minded, forward-thinking new woman with a Chinese face and a Southern accent. Her engaging voice, along with her emerging self-reliance and maturity, drive the novel and make her a character we can easily relate to. Punctuating her narrative with Miss Sweetie’s tart and pun-filled advice, Jo’s witty and arresting turns of phrase and her positive outlook give buoyancy to her story even in its dire moments. As Jo tackles all injustices head-on, and tension rises, the book races to a soundly satisfying conclusion – The New York Times
In her latest work, Lee continues to demonstrate that Chinese people were present – and had a voice – in American history. She deftly weaves historical details with Jo’s personal story of finding a voice and a place for herself in order to create a single, luminous work – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Lee has concocted another thrilling historical novel, blending stellar plotting and a dynamic cast of characters with well-researched details and sharp commentary on America’s history of racism and prejudice. This spectacular, voice-driven novel raises powerful questions about how we understand the past, as well as the ways our current moment is still shaped by that understanding – Booklist (starred review)
Review
A gorgeous tale that will steal your heart. This is not only a keeper, but a classic!
A jewel of a story. By shining a light on the lives of those whom history usually ignores, Stacey Lee gives us a marvellous gift: An entirely new and riveting look at our past
Clever, funny, and poignant, The Downstairs Girl is Stacey Lee at her best
Immersive, important, and thoroughly entertaining, The Downstairs Girl sparkles with all of Stacey Lee’s signature humour, charm, warmth, and wisdom
The Downstairs Girl holds a mirror to our present issues while giving us a detailed and vibrant picture of life in the past . . . The challenges Jo faces ring true for the novel’s historical setting, but they will also ring strong for Lee’s contemporary readers. As a young person, Jo is resoundingly American-an observant, open-minded, forward-thinking new woman with a Chinese face and a Southern accent. Her engaging voice, along with her emerging self-reliance and maturity, drive the novel and make her a character we can easily relate to. Punctuating her narrative with Miss Sweetie’s tart and pun-filled advice, Jo’s witty and arresting turns of phrase and her positive outlook give buoyancy to her story even in its dire moments. As Jo tackles all injustices head-on, and tension rises, the book races to a soundly satisfying conclusion – The New York Times
In her latest work, Lee continues to demonstrate that Chinese people were present – and had a voice – in American history. She deftly weaves historical details with Jo’s personal story of finding a voice and a place for herself in order to create a single, luminous work – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Lee has concocted another thrilling historical novel, blending stellar plotting and a dynamic cast of characters with well-researched details and sharp commentary on America’s history of racism and prejudice. This spectacular, voice-driven novel raises powerful questions about how we understand the past, as well as the ways our current moment is still shaped by that understanding – Booklist (starred review)
Book Description
From the critically-acclaimed author of Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon comes a New York Times bestselling powerful novel about identity, betrayal, and the meaning of family.
From the Publisher
You can visit Stacey at staceyhlee.com. Or follow her on Twitter @staceyleeauthor.
From the Back Cover
Seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan is leading a double life. By day, she works as a lady’s maid, navigating life in a brutally segregated society. By night, she’s the voice behind the most radical advice column in 1890s Atlanta.
Jo is used to feeling invisible, but though her priority is making sure that she and her father, Old Gin, remain safe in their hideaway beneath a print shop, she has ambitions and opinions of her own. Opinions that she begins to share in a newspaper advice column under the pseudonym ‘Miss Sweetie’. Suddenly, all of Atlanta is talking about her ideas, never knowing that the witty advice comes from a penniless Chinese girl.
As curiosity about Miss Sweetie mounts, Jo’s secret identity may not stay secret for much longer. And as she learns more of the hard truths about her identity and her country, she must find the courage to decide between being herself or staying invisible . . .
About the Author
You can visit Stacey at staceyhlee.com. Or follow her on Twitter @staceyleeauthor.
A New York Times bestselling novel, The Downstairs Girl is a compelling and poignant story following seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan, a Chinese American girl living in segregated 1890s Atlanta.
‘Everyone needs to read this book‘ Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval
‘A jewel of a story. By shining a light on the lives of those whom history usually ignores, Stacey Lee gives us a marvellous gift: an entirely new and riveting look at our past’ Candace Fleming, award-winning author of The Family Romanov
***
Seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan is leading a double life. By day, she works as a lady’s maid, navigating life on the margins of a society determined that a person’s worth is measured by the colour of their skin. By night, she’s the voice behind the most radical advice column in 1890s Atlanta.
Jo is used to feeling invisible, but she won’t let it hold her back. While her priority is making sure that she and her father, Old Gin, remain safe in their hideaway beneath a print shop, she still has ambition. And strong opinions of her own that she begins to share in a newspaper advice column under the pseudonym ‘Miss Sweetie’. Suddenly, all of Atlanta is talking about her ideas, although little do they know that the witty advice comes from a penniless Chinese girl.
As curiosity about Miss Sweetie mounts, Jo’s secret identity may not stay secret for much longer. And as she learns more of the hard truths about her identity and her country, she must find the courage to decide between being herself or staying invisible . . .
***
Praise for The Downstairs Girl
‘Immersive, important, and thoroughly entertaining, The Downstairs Girl sparkles with all of Stacey Lee’s signature humour, charm, warmth, and wisdom’ Kelly Loy Gilbert, Morris Award Finalist for Conviction
‘A gorgeously researched, feminist historical novel‘ Melissa Albert, bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
‘This vividly rendered historic novel will keep readers riveted as witty, observant Jo deals with the dangers of questioning power‘ The Washington Post
‘I couldn’t put it down. It was so much fun. Stacey writes great historical fiction centring people of colour‘ Camryn Garrett, author of Full Disclosure
‘[A] thrilling historical novel’ Booklist
‘A detailed and vibrant picture of life in the past‘ The New York Times
‘Clever, funny, and poig
Amanda Kelly –
Enjoyed this book, read in one sitting.
Amazon Customer –
Beautifully written.
I must admit I was at first surprised by the author’s use or images. Very positively surprised. A must read for anyone with a poetic mindset.
furinkazan –
Wunderbar
klug, humorig, witzig, warmherzig, keine anachronismen, authentisch. Ich habe mich über den Wortwitz köstlich amüsiert. Das ist wirklich eine reizende Geschichte, mit glaubhaften und liebenswerten Charaktären.
Becky –
An inspiring read
Set in 1890’s Atlanta, the reader gets another historically accurate picture of the post Civil War South. Jo shares her struggles in a segregated, class conscious world but inspires her reader with her strength and insight.
M. Clueit –
Insight into Chinese thinking.
Fascinating view into the history of Chinese immigrants to early USA. A delightful novel.
Natascha –
So beautifully written
Absolutely loved this book. It’s so beautifully written. “If looks were sounds, his startled expression would be the braking of a train for a troop of Fiji mermaids swinging through the trees.” English is not my native language so sometimes I had to reread a sentence 3 times. What a wonderful book.
Kindle Customer –
The Downstairs Girl
Liked this story as well as the historical information that was provided. Was surprised if Jo’s heritage and glad Old Gin was losing weight for a reason other than illness. Was also glad Caroline was able to follow a path that made her happy.
Probir Sengupta –
Unusual book
It is a well written book about the struggles and success of a young Chinese girl in 19th Century USA as a seamstress and an activist
Amazon Customer –
Enjoyable read
Fun read. Interesting story line and characters. You don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy reading Stacey Lee’s books. I’m a senior and find her books delightful. This one was no different.
that_bookdragon –
One of the best books I’ve read this year
“The tricky thing about giving opinions is that sometimes they cost you more than you wanted to spend.”I think it is safe to say that The Downstairs Girl is one of my favorite books of 2019. I first heard about it thanks to Booktube and quickly became obsessed with getting my own copy as soon as it would be released. Well, it did not disappoint and I really recommend that all of you pick it up because it is absolutely amazing. Last year in college I had a class about the History of feminism and it was truly interesting to see quite a lot of elements I had studied in this book (the bicycle being revolutionary for example as a way for women to express their freedom). I keep saying I really enjoy reading Historical Fiction but I know I don’t read enough compared to my Fantasy/Contemporary reading ratio and this book comforted me in the idea that I have to read more.This book follows Jo Kuan, a seventeen-year-old Chinese American girl who works as a lady’s maid by day and who writes anonymously a wildly popular feminist column in 19th century Atlanta. Jo lives with her uncle, Old Gin, after she was abandoned by her parents under the Bells’ house. In 1890, racism and segregation were at their highest so I will let you imagine what Jo and her uncle have to face every single day, and even more with Jo being a woman. When you think about it, this time period isn’t so far away from us… For sure things have gotten better since the 19th century but we still have a long way to go.Anyway.Jo is an amazing character and I honestly wish I could be more like her. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and uses her pen name Miss Sweetie to express herself in her column, giving advice to women. Here’s one I loved:”The best way to boost your attractiveness is to accept yourself the way you are, which will free your mind to pursue creativity and joy.”or this one too:”We are all candles, and whether we are single or joined with another does not affect how brightly we can burn.”Jo is such a good role-model. She is compassionate, deliciously smart and her sense of justice is to root for. She will definitely stay with me for a very long time and I believe this book has the potential to be studied in History class. I know for sure that I will talk about it with my teacher when I see her because it has so many important elements in it! The writing in this book is also exquisite, I was completely absorbed by the pages of this book and regretted not having time to sit down and read it all in one sitting.To conclude, I need all of you to read this book because it is really important whether you enjoy reading Historical Fiction or not, but especially if you do. It has an amazing feminist main character and does not shy away from exposing the reality of 1890 for POC people. Truly an amazing reading experience and I cannot wait to read more books by Stacy Lee!